Doggie Treats for Our Canine Buddies

Our best canine buddies deserve a delicious, good-for-them treat. Charlotte, our best buddy, has her special treat each evening while we enjoy dessert and coffee.

I’ve seen a variety of dog treat recipes and like this one best. It makes about 2 dozen biscuits with a 3-inch dog bone-shaped cutter. Use whatever shape and size fits your fancy – or your dog’s fancy. These biscuits are not as rock-hard as commercial dog biscuits, but they are firm and easily chewed. If you’d like, give them a taste. Everything in them is fit for human consumption, as they say. Your dog won’t tell a soul…

These cookies make a great gift to friends with dogs. If you want to glam them up a bit, brush each cookie with egg wash (a well-beaten egg with a little water added) before baking. It gives the biscuits a nice sheen. I found adorable dog paw ribbon at Michael’s craft store.

In light of a recent news story concerning some peanut butters using xylitol as a sweetener, I checked the brands I use. I use Skippy and Jif. Neither one uses xylitol to replace the sugar in their peanut butter. I’ve been making our dog these cookies for quite some time without her having any problems with them.

Several websites are stating that xylitol can be toxic to dogs. Here are two website links:

http://www.preventivevet.com/dogs/is-peanut-butter-safe-for-dogs

http://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/pets/sns-201506231830–tms–petwrldctnya-a20150624-20150624-column.html

~ Peanut Butter Dog Bone Treats ~

Cook Time: 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Line cookie trays with either parchment paper or a silicone mat for best browning

This recipe will fill two cookie sheet trays. I switch the trays in the oven about half-way through the baking.

Ingredients:

2 cups whole wheat flour, plus more for dusting the cutting board

1/2 cup old-fashioned oats (Quick oats work – just not instant oats)

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1 cup either of water, vegetable, beef, or chicken broth (if this liquid is a little warm or at room temperature, it makes the blending together of ingredients a little easier).

1 cup creamy peanut butter, at room temperature (about half a 16 oz. jar – a little easier to measure than scooping it out into a cup)

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the flour, oats, and baking powder. Stir in the broth and peanut butter until the mixture forms a soft dough. Press the dough together to form a ball.

On a lightly floured work surface, knead the dough for about 30 seconds until smooth. Roll out the dough to about a 1/2 inch thickness (remember that there is a large amount of baking powder, so they will puff up as they bake). Using a cookie cutter, cut out biscuits and place on the prepared baking sheets. Any scraps of dough can easily be formed into a ball and re-rolled.

Bake until light golden brown, 25-30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely. Store in refrigerator or freezer.

FUN FACTS: It’s rumored that, at the end of the Beatles song, “A Day in the Life,” Paul McCartney recorded an ultrasonic whistle, audible only to dogs, just for his Shetland sheepdog. Source: PBS

Watch that plate of dog cookies! A Dog’s sense of smell is 10,000 – 100,000 times more acute as that of humans. Source: PBS

For more Fun Facts about dogs, go to https://www.petfinder.com/dogs/bringing-a-dog-home/facts-about-new-dog/