Miso tasty cookie cats

Not only are these easy to make and taste amazing (thanks to the earthy, slightly nutty secret ingredient that is miso!), there’s also a simple joy to be had from raiding the kitchen drawers to see the different-sized forks in your cutlery drawer and various sprinkles to find out what kind of whiskers they can create!

Credit: Quadrille / Ellis Parrinder

• makes

  16

• prep

  25 minutes

• cook

  10 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

Cookie dough

• 100 g [7 oz] unsalted butter, at room temperature, cubed (or vegan butter – use one that’s close to 80% fat content)
• 70 g caster or granulated sugar
• 3 tsp white miso paste (reduce the amount if you’re using other types of miso as they may be saltier and stronger)
• 150 g [1 cup] plain flour (to make gluten-free, substitute with a gluten-free plain flour blend plus ½ tsp xanthan gum)

To decorate

• bake-stable sprinkles (do a test cookie with your sprinkles, as some sprinkles are bake stable and others will melt!)
• edible eye sprinkles (or use various nuts and seeds to create eyes – see what you have in your cupboards)
• colourful chocolate or chocolate chips (optional)

Chilling time: 30 minutes + 20 minutes (or a shorter time if freezing).

Can be made vegan and/or gluten free.

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C [325°F/Gas mark 3] and line 1–2 baking trays (sheets) with baking paper.
2. Add the butter and sugar to a large bowl and beat together with a spoon or spatula until smooth. Add the miso paste and mix in. Add the flour (plus xanthan gum, if gluten-free) and mix in with a spoon or spatula, then use your hands to form a dough.
3. Roll the dough into a 22 cm [8½ in] long log, then pinch the log down its whole length and on both sides, so that it has pointed ears all the way down. Wrap loosely in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, or in the freezer for 10 minutes.
4. Cut the chilled log into 16 slices and place on the prepared baking sheets, spaced well apart. Create whiskers using sprinkles (make sure they are bake stable - see Cat tips), or with fork imprints. To create a fork imprint, dip a fork into a small bowl of water and use to flatten the sides of each cookie, pressing down to about halfway to resemble whiskers. Add flaked almonds, pumpkin seeds and/or sprinkles (there’s lots of different options) for the eyes, then add a sprinkle (or more nuts or chocolate) for the nose. Just vary all the different faces with random bits and pieces from your cupboards to create a quirky bunch of cats. Once all are decorated, chill the shortbread again for at least 20 minutes in the fridge, or 5 minutes in the freezer.
5. Bake for 10–12 minutes until pale and golden at the edges. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for 1–2 weeks.

 

Cat tips

• To give me a marbled look, tear off pieces from the main dough and knead in food dye. Then combine the different coloured doughs into one and continue from step 3. When you slice into the log, you’ll get a whole family of us with different patterned coats!

• Add any non-bake ingredients (such as my eyes) after baking and cooling, using icing to stick.

Recipe from Bake Me a Cat by Kim-Joy, published by Quadrille. (RRP HB $32.99). Photography by Ellis Parrinder.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.