Challenge Book #43 - Animal Crackers

These animal crackers are deadly. Not in the figurative sense of being starfish - a creative use of my meagre stock of cookie cutters. Creatures not exactly known for their bloodthirsty cunning and ferocity.

They are more in the line of being deadly to your waistline. Not only are they delicious, they are hard to keep track of being so small. It's all too easy to have just one more!


I was very surprised when I saw this recipe. I had no idea that animal crackers were sweet biscuits. Shirley Temple has a lot to answer for.

They are also very quick and easy to make. I left out the honey, not being a fan and all and added an extra few teaspoons of sugar. It seemed to work well.

Icing them is probably the time consuming task. But it's worth it. I thought they tasted almost exactly like chocolate wheatmeals.



This recipe is of course from Challenge Book #43 in the KJ wants a Kitchen Aid Challenge. This is the first recipe I have made from this book. The first of many for sure.

Animal Crackers
(adapted from Field Guide to Cookies)

1/2 cup rolled oats
2 tbspn light brown sugar
3/4 cup plain flour
1/4 tspn baking soda
1/4 tspn salt
1/4 cup softened unsalted butter
2 tspn honey
1/4 tspn vanilla
1/4 cup cold buttermilk

Grind the oats in a food processor until they are very fine.

Combine the oats, flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in a stand mixer and mix on a low speed to combine.

Add the butter in pieces and mix to a fine meal.

Add the liquids and mix to fully combined.

Turn the dough out onto plastic wrap, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Roll the dough out to 1/8 inch. Cut into desired shapes with cutters. Place biscuits on a lined baking tray.

Bake in an oven preheated to 175C for 7-9 minutes. Leave to cool.

Melt together 6oz chocolate and 3 tspn butter. Spread over the biscuits and decorate as desired.