Recipe Index

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp salted butter, at room temperature, cubed (or vegan butter, about 80% fat content)
• 3 1/4 Tbsp powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 2/3 cup potato starch
• 2/3 cup minus 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour (or gluten-free all-purpose flour blend plus 3/4 tsp xanthan gum)
• Gel food dyes
• 3/4 tsp water
• 2 1/4 tsp confectioners' sugar
• Black gel food dye

Method

1. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Beat the butter and powdered sugar together with a spoon or spatula until smooth and spreadable, then mix in the vanilla bean paste.
3. Add the potato starch and flour (plus the xanthan gum if using the gluten-free blend), sifting out any lumps, and mix into a paste without overworking it, then bring the dough together into a ball with your hands.
4. Divide the dough between bowls and work gel food dye into each portion to make the colours wanted.
5. Shape the dough into 8 cat shapes with a light touch, dusting your hands with a little flour only if the dough sticks.
6. Arrange the cats on the prepared sheet and chill for at least 40 minutes in the fridge, or 10 minutes in the freezer, while the oven heats to 275°F.
7. Bake for 20 to 40 minutes depending on size, taking smaller cats out sooner, until the pale dough looks a shade lighter and the cookies feel firm enough to pick up without collapsing; transfer to a wire rack to cool.
8. Whisk the water and confectioners' sugar together in a small bowl until smooth, colour the icing with the black gel food dye, and adjust with a tiny bit more sugar or water until it holds a trail for 15 to 20 seconds before levelling.
9. Pipe eyes, whiskers and mouths onto the cooled cats from a piping bag with a very small tip, then store the cookies in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Nutrition (per serving, where published)

Estimated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient data