The PERFECT Peanut Butter Play Dough

Is it crazy that I’m totally stoked on this awesome, non-crumbly, and fully edible peanut butter play dough we came up with today?!  The truth is, it’s taken us a few attempts to come up with the perfect recipe.  I really should have known which ingredient would be the key to our success – it’s a long time favourite of mine – but it took us a while to get there.  We started with the classic recipe I grew up with – peanut butter, dried milk, and honey – and while it’s yummy and fun to play with, it crumbles absolutely everywhere and is super tricky to roll out  and cut using cookie cutters.  This one, on the other hand, is like pure luxury.  It’s super soft, silky, and rolls and cuts with ease.

After nailing the recipe {and doing a little happy dance} this morning, Grae and I selected some things from around the kitchen to accompany the dough.  She picked the flower cookie cutters and the silicon cups, I picked the miniature pans and the rolling pin, and together we dug out the flipper, tongs, and food picks.

Then she got to work.

First up were cookies and mini cakes.  You can tell just how smooth and soft this dough is from this photo, can’t you?

The biggest difference with this recipe compared to the traditional one we tried this summer is how well it rolls and cuts.  Just look at these little peanut butter cookies!  Beauties, aren’t they? (How terrible is it that all I could think about while G was making these was Purdy’s peanut butter daisies?!)

And because of its ingredients, the dough not only rolls and cuts well, but its texture allows it to sort of chunk off when you break off a piece to work with.

After a big cookie and cake stage, it was on to making peanut butter balls…

And pretending to eat them {though she could have actually eaten them since both ingredients are fully edible}.

Next up, was peanut butter pie.  With food picks.  Because they’re always a must.

And before packing everything away before lunchtime, she had to get in some tong use.  In order to do so, she recruited me to be her ‘peanut butter ball maker’, and she played the role of ‘peanut butter ball mover’.  Good deal, I’d say.

We had so much fun with our peanut butter play dough that I hope it lasts a good, long time.  As of now, it’s in a zip-close bag in the fridge and we’re hoping it’s just as wonderful tomorrow when we take it out again.  I sort of doubt that it needs to be refrigerated, but because of the heat here, I thought it couldn’t hurt.

PERFECT Peanut Butter Play Dough

• 1 cup of smooth peanut butter (we used the regular with sugar kind as it came in our welcome basket when we arrived to Kuwait)
• 1 1/2 – 2 cups of cornstarch (or corn flour here and in other parts of the world)

Start by combining the peanut butter and 1 cup of the cornstarch in a large bowl (we found that using the back of a metal spoon worked well).  Once combined, slowly begin adding the additional cornstarch.  Mix in between additions and stop when the dough is still soft, but firm to the touch and no longer sticky.  As you go, you may need to use your hands to knead the dough.  Our perfect amount was 1 3/4 cups of corn flour, but it may vary a little depending on the type of peanut butter you’re using.

Play!

 

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