Please help me make cookies that look like orange cat paws!

December 19, 2011 2:44 PM

I want to make cookies in the shape of a cat's paw. I'm attending a cookie exchange party and many people have seen photos of my cat Butters famous for his big feet. I'm hoping to find a cookie recipe that would be around the color of his feet (a buff tan color) which can be shaped into a paw shape. So it would have to be something with dough I can shape by hand. I will use almond slivers for claws. If you have a simple recipe like this it would be great. Thanks! I have most normal cookie making stuff or could buy it.
posted by Melsky to Food & Drink (17 answers total)

If I were doing this, I'd do it with sugar cookies.
posted by royalsong at 2:46 PM on December 19, 2011

You could also spin it with peanutbutter cookies.
posted by royalsong at 2:48 PM on December 19, 2011 [5 favorites]

I am not near my cookbooks, so I apologize for not posting an actual recipe, but this cries out for snickerdoodles, especially a recipe where the cookie surface cracks so you get a stripey effect of cinnamon-sugar and dough color.
posted by gingerest at 2:49 PM on December 19, 2011 [2 favorites]

...which can be shaped into a paw shape.

Why not just use cookie cutters?
posted by ceribus peribus at 2:55 PM on December 19, 2011

There are paw cookie cutters, did you know that?
posted by DarlingBri at 2:56 PM on December 19, 2011

Seconding snickerdoodles. Delicious and very Butters colored.
posted by mostlymartha at 3:01 PM on December 19, 2011

Response by poster: There's no paw cookie cutters for polydactyl cats though! He's got an extra half paw. I'm good at shaping dough so I thought I'd go that route.
posted by Melsky at 3:03 PM on December 19, 2011

Yeah a cookie cutter is the way to go... it looks like the extra toes is a key part in your cat so you might not be able to get an off-the-shelf cookie cutter that matches what you want, but you can make your own, here's one tutorial, but there are other ways to do it if you poke around google.
posted by brainmouse at 3:04 PM on December 19, 2011

I'd do a sugar cookie with maple sugar or a little cinnamon and sugar blend sprinkled on top, or snickerdoodles. Snickerdoodles might expand beyond the shape you make, though, whereas sugar cookies will keep their shape better. (Also, awww, what a sweet face.)
posted by bedhead at 3:05 PM on December 19, 2011

As far as a dough, any basic sugar cookie, snickerdoodle, or peanut butter dough (with smooth peanut butter, so as not to interfere with the shaping process) should work. For shaping, I'm not sure I'd go with a cookie cutter, but that likely speaks to my laziness. I'd try this:

-medium (1"-1.5") ball of cookie dough, somewhat egg or oval-shaped
-small (.5") ball of dough pressed up next to the first ball (for the polydactyl bit)
-flatten two dough balls together a bit, then press in almond pieces for toes/claws as appropriate
-bake and see what happens. In my mind, the two pieces of dough should converge and flatten in the oven, leaving you with something like what you're looking for.

Also OMG ADORBZ LOOK AT ALL OF THOSE TOEZ YOUR CAT LOOKS LIKE HE'S WEARING MITTENS.
posted by amy lecteur at 3:18 PM on December 19, 2011 [1 favorite]

I swear, I'm not defending my choice because I am emotionally involved - you make whatever cookie you like! go you! - but although I agree that a sugar cookie might keep its shape better, a snickerdoodle cut into a paw shape that then poofs oddly so the toes are irregular might look even more like Butters' paws.

I am very taken with this whole idea and now wish I had a thumbs-cat to make cookies about.
posted by gingerest at 3:20 PM on December 19, 2011 [3 favorites]

I remember a recipe and picture in my mom's International Cookie Cookbook of these, they always struck me as very paw-ish looking - maybe you could find a way to meld a couple of them together into polydactyl paw perfection!
posted by ghostbikes at 3:23 PM on December 19, 2011

You could do a cardboard cutout of the shape, and use that to trace around with a knife into rolled-out dough.
posted by annsunny at 3:30 PM on December 19, 2011

Or, OR you could maybe use a cookie press to get something in the right idea, but more dimensional. It would be easy enough to block a hole, or press onto another shape, I think.
posted by annsunny at 3:36 PM on December 19, 2011

Make your own cookie cutter
I love these gingerbread cookies. though the color is too dark.
posted by defcom1 at 8:48 AM on December 20, 2011

So in addition to the standard cat rule, you have to post a picture of the cookies, you know.
posted by gingerest at 2:23 PM on December 20, 2011

So in addition to the standard cat rule, you have to post a picture of the cookies, you know.

Yes, please!
posted by Lexica at 8:15 PM on December 20, 2011