Kitty Cookie

Marc Antony and Pussyfoot are long-time favorites of mine because they’re just so gosh darn cute together. No matter what names they go by, seeing the big bulldog dote on that tiny kitten has always made me smile. And no cartoon of theirs makes me happier than “Feed the Kitty.” Marc Anthony tries to act like tough stuff and bark at Pussyfoot, but she just curls up on his back. And despite all the kneading she does to get comfortable, he can’t help but like her. (Yeah, this is starting to sound a whole lot like my kitty and me.) However, unlike Marc Anthony, I don’t have the problem where I’m constantly bringing stuff home. His owner is finally fed up with all of his mess and tells him not to bring one more thing into their house. Now I’m just guessing that Marc Anthony would be reasonable about this order under normal circumstances, but he did just bring a kitten into the house. A kitten who doesn’t like to stay put. Every time Pussyfoot crosses paths with his owner, Marc Anthony pretends that the kitten is just a toy or a powder puff and gets more and more desperate to keep her a secret.

Now here’s where it gets really good. Marc Anthony hides Pussyfoot in the flour drawer just before his owner comes into the kitchen to make cookies. She unknowingly scoops up the kitten and adds her to the bowl. She proceeds to make the cookie dough while Marc Anthony tries his best to rescue Pussyfoot. Fearing the kitten’s fate if she meets with the stand mixer, Marc Anthony’s last-ditch effort is to spray whipped cream all over his face and pretend he’s rabid. His owner has been putting up with his crazy antics all day, but wasting her whipped cream was the last straw and she throws him outside. Pussyfoot gets out of the bowl unharmed, but poor Marc Anthony doesn’t know that. He watches in horror as his owner beats the dough, rolls it out, cuts it, and places the cookies in the oven, thinking his precious kitty is in there. He can’t take it and cries himself a puddle. And then when his owner lets him back inside, she gives him a cookie shaped like a cat!

Recipe makes about 20 cookies (Depending on size.)

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 large egg

¼ cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

3 cups flour

Candy (Blue Jelly Beans, M&M’s, etc.) or frosting for eyes

 

Directions

In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.

In a stand mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract. Add the milk. Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Divide the dough in two and flatten each half into a disk. Cover each disk with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. (I know Marc Anthony’s owner rolls her dough out right away, and I may have been able to get away with it, but I feel better letting it chill.)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Lightly dust a counter with flour and roll out a disk to ¼-inch thickness. Cut out shapes with a kitty cookie cutter or make a stencil and cut out with a paring knife. Marc Anthony’s owner used a variety of cookie cutters, so you don’t have to just stick with kitties. Re-roll and cut until you run out of dough and continue this process with the other disk.

Place cookies in the oven and bake, rotating trays halfway through, until the cookies have browned slightly, 10-15 minutes. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheets for 2 minutes. While the cookies are still warm and soft, press candy into them to make eyes for the kitties. If you want to draw eyes on with frosting, make sure the cookies have fully cooled. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and allow them to cool completely. Enjoy!

Oh, I can’t handle Marc Anthony’s face! And instead of eating the kitty cookie, he puts it on his back. But there’s no sad ending for the sweet, furry pair. Pussyfoot shows up and Marc Anthony is ecstatic. And busted. Luckily, Marc Anthony’s owner allows him to keep the kitten, but he’s got to take care of her. I don’t know what’s more incredible: Marc Anthony’s owner allowing him to care entirely for a kitten, or Marc Anthony actually being responsible enough to do so. That could never happen in my house. The only cat my dogs would take care of is one made of cookie. (And we all know how that would end.)

 

Tune in next week for more Cartoon Cravings!