This time of year, many people are baking their favorite holiday cookies to share with family and friends. There’s nothing much better than home-make cookies, except maybe MORE home-made cookies.
But what about the canines in your life? Don’t they deserve something delicious, crunchy, and home-made as well? While you’re busy toiling over gingerbread men and butter-spritz cookies, icing sugar cookies, and rolling rum balls, how about making some treats for your favorite canines? The kitchen is already in chaos. Why not add some festive cheer to your favorite pup’s Christmas stocking? Here are four kinds of cookies they’re sure to enjoy.
Dog Cookie Recipes
Heavenly Health Dog Biscuits
1 ¾ cups rolled oats
¾ cup golden flax seeds
2/3 cup brewers’ yeast
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup brown rice flour
2 cups oat flour
2 tablespoons organic raw sugar
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 eggs
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease two cookie sheets.
Combine oats, flax seeds, brewer’s yeast, cheese, rice flour, oat bran flour and sugar in a large bowl. Whisk together chicken broth and eggs; mix with oat mixture to make a fairly stiff dough.
Roll dough into 1 inch balls, then flatten into discs. (Or, roll dough out on a floured surface to 1/4 or 3/8 inch thick and cut into 1-inch x 1 1/2-inch rectangles.) Place on cookie sheets 3/4 inch apart.
Bake until dry and the edges turn a light golden brown, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool before serving.
Super Simple Sweet Potato Dog Treats
1 sweet potato
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 eggs
Bake the sweet potatoes. (The original recipe calls for nuking the potatoes, but some would argue this destroys nutrients. If you chose to nuke ‘em anyway: Heat sweet potato in a microwave on high until tender, about 6 minutes. Cut potato in half and scoop flesh out of the skin into a bowl; discard skin.)
How to BAKE the sweet potatoes: Don’t preheat the oven. Prick your sweet potatoes each 2-3 time with a fork, then place them directly on the oven rack in the middle of the oven, above the rack with the foil. Turn the oven on to 425. Bake for 45 minutes for sweet potatoes/yams that are 2-3 inches in diameter. For sweet potatoes that are up to 4 inches in diameter, bake for an hour. For super large sweet potatoes, bake for an hour and 15 minutes. After the time has elapsed, don’t open the oven but turn it off. Let the sweet potatoes sit in the oven for at least 30 minutes but up to an hour.
Mash potato with a fork or potato masher and transfer about 1 cup to a large bowl. Save any remaining sweet potato for another use.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Mix whole wheat flour, applesauce, and eggs in the large bowl with the sweet potato until a dough forms. Turn dough out on a well-floured surface and roll dough to about 1/2-inch thick. Cut out shapes using a cookie cutter or cut dough into strips with a pizza cutter. Arrange cookies on an ungreased baking sheet.
Bake until crisp, 35 to 45 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.
Bacon-Flavored Dog Biscuits
2 eggs
1 cup milk
½ cup water
1 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons bacon fat, melted
5 cups whole wheat flour
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a cookie sheet.
Beat eggs in a large bowl. Stir in milk, water, salt, and bacon fat until well blended. Gradually stir in flour to make a stiff dough. Pinch off pieces of the dough and roll into 2 inch balls. Place on prepared baking sheet.
Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes. Cool on racks. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator.
Good Dog Cookies
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 cup nonfat dry milk powder
1 egg, beaten
½ cup vegetable oil
2 cubes beef bouillon cube
3/4 cup boiling water
2 tablespoons brown sugar
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Lightly grease one cookie sheet.
Dissolve bouillon cubes in boiling water and allow to cool.
Combine the flour, dry milk, egg, oil, beef broth and brown sugar. Mix well and knead dough for 1 minute.
On a floured surface roll out dough to about 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out bones and place on cookie sheet.
Bake for 30 minutes and allow to cool.
