I know, I know, I am posting this just days before Christmas arrives. You already have presents to wrap, holiday dinner to bake, more shopping to do AND your in-laws just arrived. I’m sorry. We just came up with this new tradition late last week and only got around to implementing it this week. The good news is if you want to do it you likely have all of the ingredients in your kitchen.
See Tessa, my precocious 2-year-old, is in love with every dog she has ever come in contact with. Isaac has always loved animals but Tessa loves them in a whole different way, especially dogs. Next door to us live two small pups who have become her fast friends. Every time they go to the potty they look over to see if our children are out and about. Any sign of my little ones and those dogs come running with their eager tongues. My children react much the same. If those dogs are anywhere around when we are trying to leave the house you better not even try and put them in the car before they have had time to do some petting. Especially Tessa. Now add in the fact that I have been racking my brain trying to come up with some things my kids could make (without driving me insane) for others and to really learn the gift of giving. After all, that isn’t an easy concept to teach to a 2 and 3-year-old that are always anxiously awaiting their own gifts. So when the idea to make dog biscuits for all our furry friends crossed my mind I just knew it was the activity/gift giving experience I was looking for. So we set to work.
I found a recipe I wanted to tweak, they each got their own mixing bowls, and we set to making two batches. (We are friends with about 8 dogs, family included, by my count). Tessa LOVES to eat dough these days so having a recipe that I wouldn’t mind her getting in her mouth was important. And we have had our fill of human cookies so I loved the fact that this wasn’t something they would want to eat. The kids had so much fun mixing the dough, rolling the dough and using their cookie cutters to make “dog cookies”. We talked about the dogs we were making these for and they were so excited along the way. And yes, Tessa ate some of the dough along the way. After they were done and cooled Isaac helped me wrap them by cutting the ribbon and helping me place them in their bags. We are so excited to deliver these to our furry friends this weekend! I can’t wait to see their faces as the dogs eat their “cookies”. And I am hopeful that this experience will help them to understand a little more about the spirit of giving, without causing me to lose my mind.
Peanut Butter Dog Biscuits
Ingredients:
- 1.25 cups flour
- .50 cups oats
- .5o Tablespoon baking powder
- .50 cup creamy organic peanut butter
- .50 cups milk
- 2 Tablespoons applesauce
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium to large bowl mix all of the dry ingredients. Next, add all of the wet ingredients. Mix thoroughly. Place the “dough” onto a piece of wax paper (or parchment paper) and then add another sheet on top. Roll the dough out so that it is about a half inch thick. Remove the top layer of wax paper and using cooking cutters cut shapes. Using a spatula to help them hold shape, remove your shapes to a cookie sheet for baking. Continue reforming and rolling the dough until it is all used. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool and serve (or wrap).
Freezing Directions:
You can freeze the shapes or dough prior to baking or you can continue to bake and once cool, place them in a gallon freezer bag to freeze. To serve: Thaw cooked “cookies” or defrost dough and follow baking directions above.