Recipe Friday – Doggie Cupcakes

These interesting treats for dogs will surely be a hit.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup honey

• 2 cups white whole wheat flour (or white flour) (you can use 1 3/4 cups to 2 cups of rice flour for gluten free)

• 1/2 cup low-fat mayonnaise (this ingredient is to get the other ingredients to bind together.  If you don’t want to use it, you can substitute with an egg and a bit of milk)

• 3 heaping tablespoons carob powder (DO NOT use chocolate powder, chocolate in any form is toxic and lethal to dogs).

• 2 teaspoons baking soda

• 1 1/2 cups warm water

• 1 teaspoon vanilla (try to find alcohol free vanilla to use)

• 12 small dog biscuits (these are decorations on the top of the cupcakes, if you do not want to use them, you can omit).

 

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.  In a large bowl, blend all ingredients except for dog biscuits together very thoroughly.  The mixture will be a little thick.
3.  Grease a muffin tin or use cupcake liners and fill each 2/3 full.
4.  Bake for 10 minutes or until a thin baked layer forms on top.
5.  Remove pan from oven and firmly press one dog biscuit into each cupcake.  Some batter will gush out on the sides of the dog biscuit. (again, if you do not use the dog biscuits, you can omit this step)
6.  Place muffin tin back into oven and continue baking for 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle of a pupcake. (if you do not use the dog biscuits, you can leave the cupcakes in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the toothpick comes out clean).
7.  Cool completely and store in the refrigerator in an airtight container or ziploc bag.

 

Recipe Friday – Bacon Chip Cookies

Your dog will go crazy for these tasty treats!

Ingredients:

• 1/2-lb pastured bacon
• 3 cups whole grain flour (or you can use rice flour for a gluten free treat)
• 1 egg
• 1 cup water, stock, or milk

 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F, then grease a cookie sheet with olive oil

2. Cook bacon until it is crumbly.

3. Crumble bacon into a bowl and then add the rest of the ingredients, mixing well.

4. If need be, add more flour, or more water or stock or milk to get the mixture to a stiff dough consistency.

5. Drop teaspoonfuls of the dough onto your greased cookie sheet.

6. Flatten the dough with a fork, until it is about 1/4 inch thick.

7. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until browned and firm.

8. Let cool before serving.  Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container or a ziploc bag.  Make sure that they are completely cool before refrigerating.  If they are not cool before refrigerating, the condensation can cause the cookies to get moldy.

Recipe Friday – Peanut Butter Parsley Treats For Dogs

Here is a great recipe for some yummy treats for your favorite doggies out there:

 

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour (or for gluten free, use about 3/4 to 1 cup of rice flour)
• ½ Tablespoon Baking Powder (If you are doing a gluten free recipe, make sure to read the label to see that this is gluten free)
• ½ Cup Peanut Butter (I use all natural, no sugar added)
• ¼ Cup Unsweetened Applesauce
• ½ Cup Non-Dairy Milk (I use unsweetened, plain almond milk)
• ¼ Cup Chopped Fresh Parsley, loosely packed (optional)

 

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or lightly grease). Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine peanut butter, applesauce, and non-dairy milk. Sift in flour and baking powder and mix well. Fold in fresh parsley (if using).
4. Using a cookie dough scoop or heaping tablespoons, spoon dough onto baking sheet. Lightly flatten dough with a spatula.
5. Bake for 20 minutes, until lightly browned.
6. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.

Makes about 14-16 treats, depending on the size you make them.

Recipe Friday – Fruit and Veggie Peanut Butter Treats For Dogs

Here is a quick and easy treat idea when you don’t have time to spend in the kitchen every day.  Now remember, do NOT use so much peanut butter that it makes it hard for your dog to eat them.  Just use a small amount.

Ingredients:

• Raw Fruits or veggies that could be vehicles for the peanut butter (examples are: Apples, Carrots, Sweet Potato, Banana)

• All Natural Peanut Butter

 

Directions:

1. Wash and peel any fruits or veggies you will be using.  You can make some of these treats ahead of time, or just make these as you go.

2. If you want to get fancy, cut up your fruits and veggies into circles or use a cookie cutter for shape ideas.

3. Put small dabs of peanut butter on the top of your treat (if you use circular cookie cutters, just put small dabs at the top of the treat).

4. Serve and store any in the fridge for maybe a day, after that they tend to get brown and are not very appetizing anymore.

Quick and easy!  Enjoy!

 

Recipe Friday – Simple Dog Biscuits

These are quick and easy to make, your dog should jump for joy for these!

Ingredients:

• 3 cups all purpose flour & additional flour for dusting surface (for gluten free, you can use almond flour or rice flour, about 2 1/2 to 3 cups of either one, just use your judgment to make sure it keeps a doughy consistency).
• 2 large eggs
• Something to flavor the biscuits (I used some parsley and some cinnamon).  You can use whatever you want and how much you may want, just make sure it will work with the dough and not make it runny.  I suggest dry ingredients like I used.
• Approximately 1/3 cup water

 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl, forming a stiff dough with your hands. Add more water if necessary.

3. Dust surface with flour. Using a rolling pin, roll out dough about 1/4 inch thick. Using a cookie cutter, cut into shapes (or use a knife to cut into small strips).

4. Place onto baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until lightly browned on bottom (tops of treats will not be as browned).

5. Cool on a wire rack & store in an airtight container for several weeks, but make sure before putting them in the container that they are completely cooled.

Recipe Friday – Peanut Butter Banana Doggie Treats

Here are some yummy treats for your pup.

Ingredients:

• 1 Banana, peeled

• 1 Cup oat flour

• 2/3 Cup rolled oats

• 1/2 Cup dried parsley

• 3 Tablespoons peanut butter

• 1 Egg, beaten

 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300°F.

2. Put banana in a large bowl and use a spoon or potato masher to mash it thoroughly.

3. Add oat flour, oats, parsley, peanut butter, and egg and stir well to combine. Set aside for 5 minutes.

4. Roll mixture into 24 balls, using about 1 tablespoon dough for each.

5. Transfer each ball to a large parchment paper-lined baking sheet as done. Use the back of a spoon or the heel of your hand to press each ball into a (1 1/2 to 2 inch) coin.

6. Bake until firm and deep golden brown on the bottom, 40 to 45 minutes. Set aside to let cool completely.

7. It’s best to store these in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Or, freeze them to give to your dog later; just be sure to thaw the treats before serving.

Recipe Friday – Liver and Rye Treats for Dogs

Try these out if you want to give your dog a new treat!

Ingredients:

• 2½ cups of rye flour
• 1 tsp of baking powder
• ½ cup of water
• ½ cup of chicken livers
• 3 tbsp of canola oil

 

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

2. Dust the baking sheet with rye flour.

3. Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse for about 1 minute, or until the dough forms a ball shape.

4. Remove from the food processor and knead briefly into a well-formed dough ball.

5. Transfer directly to the baking sheet.

6. Flatten the ball and shape it carefully into a square.

7. Lightly dust the top of the dough with extra rye flour and roll with a rolling pin into a 10 inch square.

8. Cut the dough with a pizza cutter into 1 inch squares. If you want to get creative, you can use a dog bone cookie cutter to create the cookie shapes.

9. Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes for softer cookies and 40-45 minutes for crispier cookies.

10. Remove your homemade dog treats from the oven and let them cool in the baking sheet.

11. Once cool, break them apart on the cut lines.  Store in a container in the fridge for a week and freeze if any leftovers.

Recipe Friday – White and Black Dog Cookies Wheat Free!

These are a favorite around this house, just be sure to feed in moderation.

Ingredients

• 3/4 Cup Rice Flour
• 1 Free Range Egg
• 2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
• 50g Natural Carob Drops (1.8 ounces or almost a ¼ cup)
• 50g Plain Yogurt Drops (1.8 ounces or almost a ¼ cup)

 

Directions

Cookies

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a flat baking tray with baking paper.

2. Whisk egg and vegetable oil in a bowl.

3. Add the rice flour to the wet ingredients and mix well to form a dough.

4. Roll dough onto floured surface to approximately 1/4 inch thickness.

5. Using a large round cookie cutter, cut out the cookies and place on lined baking tray. Repeat until dough is finished.

6. Bake cookies for 15-20 minutes or until golden. Place on baking rack to cool.

 

Icing

1. Melt the yogurt drops in a small heat safe bowl over boiling water.

2. Once melted use a spatula to spread over one half of each cookie. Allow to set.

3. Melt the carob drops in a small heat safe bowl over boiling water. Once melted use a spatula to spread over the second half of each cookie. Allow to set then serve.

Recipe Friday – Liver BBQ Treats For Dogs (Wheat Free)

These interesting treats make dogs feel like they are eating our food!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound bacon
• 1 pound liver (such as calf liver, chicken liver, beef liver, etc.)
• 1 cup cooked mashed sweet potato puree (substitute carrot, pumpkin, or butternut squash)
• 1 cup rolled oats (not instant)
• 1/2 cup coarsely ground cornmeal (preferably organic/gmo-free)
• 1/2 cup flaxseeds
• 1/2 cup chicken broth (salt-free or low sodium; you can also use water)
• 2 large eggs + 1 egg, divided
• 1/4 cup bbq sauce (use a non-spicy variety, or just omit this if you do not want your dog to have BBQ sauce)

 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or a silpat and set aside. Arrange 2 baking racks in middle of oven.
2. Cook the bacon on a skillet over medium heat until the fat is rendered and bacon is a bit crisp. Remove from skillet and transfer to food processor. Drain all but a thin layer of fat and add the liver pieces, cooking them in batches about 2 minutes on each side, until cooked completely through (will be stiffer and shrunken a bit). Add the cooked pieces of liver to the food processor and puree into a paste. Add the oats, flaxseeds and cornmeal and puree again into a thick dough.
3. Transfer to a mixing bowl or stand-up mixer, and add the sweet potatoes, chicken broth, eggs and egg yolk (reserve the 3rd white). Mix well until a thick, sticky dough forms and gathers into a ball. If too wet, add a bit more ground cornmeal until you reach the right consistency.
4. Sprinkle cornmeal over your work surface and turn out the dough. Using a cornmeal dusted rolling pin, roll out the dough until it’s about 1/2″ thick. Use 2″ round cookie cutters dusted in cornmeal to cut out circles, and transfer them to the prepared cookie sheets (they can be placed close together). Re-roll out any remaining dough and repeat until all dough is used.
5. *No cookie cutter or just want a quicker way? You can also just cut the dough into 2″ squares with a knife or pizza cutter.
6. Place in oven and bake until dry and crunchy–3 hours in the oven. (Check about 20 minutes before end of time to make sure they’re not burning.)
7. Remove from oven and lower heat to 200 degrees.
8. Whisk together the remaining egg white and the bbq sauce. Brush on the still-warm treats and then return to the oven for another 40 minutes to allow the glaze to set.
9. Store completely cooled treats in an air-tight container for up to 6 weeks.

 

Makes about 40 2-inch treats, remember to feed in moderation.

 

Recipe Friday – Strawberry Droolers for Dogs

The reason I called these “strawberry droolers” is because when I made them for Sasha, she drooled all over as I was making her do tricks before serving them to her.  Hope your dog enjoys them as much as she does!

Ingredients:

Jam Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups strawberries, chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch

Dough Mixture

• 1 1/4 cup rolled oats (not instant)
• 1 1/4 cup of whole wheat flour (or about one cup of rice flour for a wheat free alternative)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 mashed up banana
• 1 egg

 

Directions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 375.
2. Mix together the chopped strawberries with the cornstarch in a saucepan. Over medium heat, let them cook together until it reaches a jam like consistency. It should be thick but not too chunky.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, lightly beat the egg, then add the canola oil, honey, and mashed banana. Add this wet mixture to the dry and mix ‘er up.
4. Cut a large sheet of parchment paper (about the size of a baking tray). Spread the “dough” mixture onto the parchment, then spread the strawberry jam on top evenly.
5. Now, use your parchment to roll this into a log. Start by lifting the parchment (the side nearest to you) and proceed to roll the dough away from you. After each roll over, lift the parchment off and begin another roll. This is akin to rolling sushi.
6. Firm it up into more of a cylindrical shape, then wrap the edges and let it cool and set a bit in the fridge for half an hour.
7. Unwrap your bundle of strawberry coconut joy and place the parchment with log on a baking tray. Gently, and with a sharp knife, cut your cookie rounds. Lay your cookies out on the parchment paper. Sprinkle a little coconut on top of each cookie (coconut does wonders for a dog’s coat), and bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
8. Serve in moderation.  Store in airtight container for a week, if there are leftovers, put in freezer.