Dog Biscuits...

Because we have two delightful dogs, we go through a lot of dog treats.When I  look at the ingredients and country of origin of most of them I feel guilty for feeding them to my dogs. I mean, they are part of our family.

I am reminded of an old My Three Sons episode, where Steve cooks up some eggs for dinner. They are horrible, burned and disgusting. The boys look at each other and everyone agrees they are inedible. Chip, I think, says, "Let's give them to Tramp."

Steve looks up horrified, and says, "Chip, he's our dog." And with that statement, Tramp misses out on the burnt eggs. I feel that way about dog treats. Why give our dogs something that we wouldn't eat? (We do give them good dog food, but I make sure I understand what is in it.)

So, with that in mind, I began looking for good dog treat recipes. This one is easy, good for your dog and fairly cheap.  This recipe is adapted from Sweet Peas Kitchen.

Peanut Butter Pumpkin Dog Treats

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a mixing bowl combine:
1-15 oz can pumpkin puree
2 eggs
1/2 C oats (omit if your dog is on a grain free diet)
3 C whole wheat flour (you can use rice or gluten free flour if you want)

3 T all natural peanut butter

1/2 tsp cinnamon, optional**

Stir well then put extra flour on your counter top and plop the dough on it. Roll it around on the flour till it is not sticky. Roll to about 1/2" thick and cut with cookie cutters or cut into strips. Put on a greased cookie sheet and bake for about 30 minutes. I like to shake the pan a bit and then leave them in the oven for a couple of hours. If they are not hard as rocks after than time you can bake them again for another 30 minutes. They will harden as they cool. 

** Do not use a pumpkin spice blend or anything with nutmeg. Nutmeg is toxic to dogs and can make them sick. 

I like to use a cookie cutter like this: It has 8 petals. I like this one because after I cut out one "cookie" I cut it into fourths, making little hearts. Cute! You can also use a small round biscuit cutter or the top of a drinking glass. Then cut each one into halves or quarters.

Scrappy and Rocky love these treats. 

I thought these sounded good too, but I haven't tried them yet. 

APPLE CARROT DOG TREATS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix ingredients together in a mixing bowl until dough forms. Roll dough out and cut as above or roll into small balls and press them down so they are about 1/4" thick. Bake until golden brown and cool on a wire rack. 

1 C whole wheat flour

1 C grated carrots

1 tsp baking powder--I use non-aluminum baking powder

1 egg

1/2 C unsweetened applesauce

Adapted from For the Love of Pooch

Take care and let me know if you have other recipes that your dog loves,

Jill 

Pumpkin Scones

I know it is not really fall yet, but with the unseasonably cool mornings I start to dream about Pumpkin Scones. So, for those of you who like spicy pumpkinny things, here you go. Maybe I will make some today and add pictures.

MAPLE PUMPKIN SCONES

Preheat oven to 425°. Spray baking sheet with non-stick spray or use parchment paper.

In a large bowl combine:
1 1/2C flour (white or fresh whole wheat)
1 C rolled oats [quick or old fashioned]
1 Tablespoon baking powder
7 Tablespoons sugar
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp ground ginger

Cut in till mixture resembles crumbs:
6T butter, chilled, cut into pieces

In a small bowl, whisk together, then add to flour mixture:
1 large egg
1/2 C pumpkin puree (or canned pumpkin)
3Tablespoons half and half (or you can use eggnog or even skim milk)

Mix gently just until dough is formed (less handling makes a lighter scone).

Shape into a ball, then pat into an 8” circle. With a sharp knife, cut into 8 wedges, separate them a little bit and place onto the prepared baking sheet. Pieces should not touch each other. Bake for 14-17 minutes at 425° until lightly browned, and a nice crust formed.


Cool a bit, but when scones are still warm, use a brush to paint a coating of the glaze over the top of each scone. If the glaze is too thick, add a bit of milk to thin down. Then, while that glaze firms up, prepare spiced icing. When glaze is set, drizzle spiced icing over scone and allow to set before serving.

Make a glaze by combining in a small bowl:
1 C powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons maple syrup (or milk or eggnog)
1/8 tsp cinnamon (omit if using the frosting below too)
Splash vanilla
.
(Optional) To make them a bit spicier and prettier, make the following:

Spiced Icing:
Use the frosting that is left over above and add:
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground ginger
Pinch of cloves.
Enough powdered sugar to make it thicker.

Take a fork and dip in the spiced icing and drizzle over the glazed scones.

These are incredible.
And if you want to really treat your tastebuds, you can serve with the following butter.

CHERRY or CRANBERRY SCONE BUTTER
Serve with any type of scone

Put together in a small heat-proof bowl:
2 Tablespoons dried cherries or cranberries
½ C boiling water

Let set 5 minutes, pour off water and chop berries. Add to berries and whip together:

½ C soft butter
3 Tablespoons powdered sugar

Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour. Serve with warm scones or biscuits.

Take care,
Jill

Oh, and I should mention, there is nothing better to drink with scones than English Breakfast or Darjeeling Tea. My favorite place to buy tea leaves can be found here.



Check out my post on my other blog--Chocolate Monkey--a great chocolate dessert.