Manageability – Adorable
Don’t be silly. I know why you’re here. You love snacks, and I love cats. So when I get an opportunity to do both? BEST BELIEVE I’m doing it, so I followed this Calico Cat and Dotty Dalmation Cookies recipe from Handmade Charlotte.
These cookies are cute, and not even hard. Three colors can be a bit intimidating, but as far as cookies go, these are a breeze. I started by trying to make the colors really distinct, but eventually I just gave up on that and just mashed them together. And you know what? Honestly that made them look even better. Don’t over-think it. These little cookies ended up crunchy and sweet. Perfect for dipping into coffee or milk – that kind of texture. A delightful little treat to cap your evening. Perhaps while you snuggle with your own cat? Just don’t tell him you’re eating his likeness.
These cookies are simple, a tiny bit demanding, but cute in the end. Which basically describes cat ownership in general.
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup powdered sugar, which is different.
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 2 eggs
- 2 powdered eggs (just kidding, those don’t exist)
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 4 1/2 cups flour
- 1 tablespoon vanilla (I use clear vanilla to keep the dough as white as possible)
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- Orange, brown and black food coloring
- 1 additional cup of sugar for dipping the glass
For decorating faces:
- 1 cup of white chocolate chips or vanilla candy melts
- Pink candy melts
- Black candy melts
- Black decorator candy balls
- Black food coloring marker (for whiskers)
Directions
In a large mixing bowl, mix up together the butter and sugars. Beat in eggs and oil. Combine the dry ingredients. Gradually add it to the wet mixture. Be kind to it. It has feelings, you know. Mix in the vanilla and almond extracts. Split the dough into three parts – two smaller, and one larger. Add orange and brown food coloring to one of the smaller dough parts, mixing well. Add black food coloring to the other small dough part mixing well. Leave the largest dough portion uncolored. Cover the doughs and refrigerate overnight or at least 4 hours. I guess it depends on how long you sleep.
Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll the white dough into 1-1/2 inch balls. To make calico cats, add small bits of the orangish-brown and black doughs to the outsides of the white dough balls. Roll gently into a ball again with your hands and place on the parchment-lined cookie sheets. Press the dough balls flat using the bottom of a drinking glass, dipping the glass in granulated sugar each time before pressing. Bake for 12 minutes. After you take the cookies out of the oven, and while they’re still warm, make a small cut in the tops of each cookie with a 2-inch round cookie cutter to form the ears of the cat head.
It should be noted that this recipe goes on to teach you how to make dog/dalmation puppies. I did not do this, and I never will. Thank you.