This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Homemade animal crackers, from Stella Parksโย new book BraveTart: Iconic American Desserts.ย
I have a handful of baking idols, and let me tell you: Stella Parks is one of them.
Stella was named by Food & Wine as one of Americaโs Best New Pastry Chefs and is the pastry wizard at Serious Eats. You probably also know her as BraveTart. I started reading her blog BraveTart shortly after I first started blogging. She takes a completely no-nonese guide to baking (especially with her macaron manifesto), and I dig a girl that makes absolutely everything from scratch, even her sprinkles.
Sheโs been working on her cookbook BraveTart: Iconic American Desserts for about 5 years now, I think. And after one look inside, youโll see why: Stella has mastered all of your favorite American desserts, from scratch. All of the cookies the elves make in the cookie aisle at the grocery store? Stellaโs got you covered. All of the cookies the girl scouts sell to you? Stella teaches you how to make them from scratch. Even the freaking McDonaldโs fried apple pies, she has down to a science. Homemade candy bars, ice cream (with all of the toppings you love), pies, doughnuts and impressive cakesโthis book is seriously the new go-to baking book.
And if I havenโt convinced you, I want to mention that her homemade cinnamon rolls are made in just one bowl: make the frosting first, then the filling, and then the dough. How genius is that?! But honestly, the entire book is full of genius tips and food history lessonsโitโs a freaking gem. This book is the new must-have for anyone who likes to bake.
When I saw she had a recipe for homemade animal crackers, I stopped in my tracks. My parents had just given Camille store-bought animal crackers (yes, I cried a little), and I had just bought animal cookie cutters at a local kitchen shop to try to mitigate the damage (heh). Also, once you make homemade graham crackers, homemade animal crackers are the logical next step.
It was completely meant to be. Plus, Stellaโs recipe for homemade animal cracker cookies uses a few unexpected ingredients to make them taste 100% authentic: ground freeze-dried corn and malted milk powder. While itโs an extra trip to the store for these items, the recipe makes about 75 cookies, so the batch lasts me a few weeks (as long as I stay out of them!). But actually, I stock freeze-dried veggies in my pantry anyway because itโs an awesome way to get kids to eat veggies, and my husband has malted milk powder in the pantry at all times because he drinks chocolate ice cream malts for lunch (<โI wish I was kidding about that).
The cookie cutters I used are more like a combo of a cutter and a stamp. The exact ones I used are on Amazon here.
And congrats, Stella. It is absolutely beautiful and I canโt wait to bake my way through the entire thing. Iโm tackling your cinnamon rolls next, and then pretty much the entire candy section :D
Homemade Animal Crackers
Homemade animal cracker cookies from scratch!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 3/4 cup (1.5 ounces) freeze-dried corn
- 2/3 cup (4.5 ounces) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (1 ounce) malted milk powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (half as much if iodized salt)
- 1 stick (4 ounces) cold, unsalted butter, cubed
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350, and have an oven rack in the middle position.
- Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Into the bowl of a food processor, sift the flour. Add the freeze dried corn. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap before placing the lid back on, and grind until homogenous, about 2 minutes.
- Add the sugar, malted milk powder, baking soda, salt, and cubed butter, pulsing to form a fine meal.
- Add the egg yolks and vanilla, and process until smooth.
- Scrape the dough out onto a work surface lightly dusted with flour, and knead until smooth. Divide the dough in half.
- Re-dust the work surface with flour, and then roll out half of the dough into a 6" square. Sprinkle both sides of the dough with flour, and then roll out until 10" across and just over 1/8" thick.
- Before proceeding, slide a spatula under the dough to ensure it isn't sticking to the work surface.
- Use plunger-style animal cookie cutters no larger than 2" in diameter to cut out animal shapes. For me, it worked best to cut out first, wiggling the cutter to ensure the lines were cut cleanly, and then use the plunger part to press in the shapes and lines of the cookie.
- Use a small spatula to move the cookies to the baking pan. Re-roll the scraps to get more cookies.
- Repeat with the other half of the dough. You'll get about 75 cookies.
- Bake the cookies until they are firm and just beginning to brown around the edges, about 12 minutes.
- Store up to 1 month in an airtight container at room temperature.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
75Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 15Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 14mgCarbohydrates: 2gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 1g
ย
ย
ย
This book is phenomenal. Iโve already made the brownies (twice) and the yellow cake with fudge frosting. Iโm sure Iโll get to these cookies but I want to try the blondies too. And the white cake. Pretty much everything.
I am loving it, too! :)
I think flour should be 1 1/3 cup per Brave Tart cookbook. The dough came out dry with suggested amount. Animal crackera were very good!
What in the world is freeze dried corn?
Wow, the animals are unique, I will try to thank you for sharing the way.
Freeze dried corn? Really? Can I substitute corn starch or something? Something thatโs actually available at my grocerโs?
what can I substitute freeze dried corn with? freeze dried corn is not sold at the grocery store, its not the same as frozen corn.
I donโt recommend substituting anything except freeze dried corn. You can order it online? Also, check the baby food section of your storeโkids snack on freeze dried fruits and veggies when theyโre young, and you might find it there.
My son is supposed to be corn freeโฆ would there be a alternative I could try? Can I use coconut sugar? What is a dairy free alternative for the malted milk powder? Can I use ghee instead butter?