Dog Treats

Dear Devon,

Is it crazy that I make dog biscuits? Is a dog's palette sufficiently refined to distinguish between milkbones, gourmet treats, and my homemade dog biscuits? I like to think it is. For those who object to dog food showing up on a food blog, my reply is: dogs need healthy, yummy treats, too!! The way I figure, dogs make me happy, so I should give them something that makes them happy, too. Since I'm lucky enough to be surrounded by adorable pooches, these treats won't last long.

My obsession with dogs didn't begin until I started working at my current job. Before, I had always hesitantly approached dogs. Oliver, the ultimate charmer, completely changed that. Before long, we were best buds. He follows me around, sits on my lap as I work, and licks my face at least twice a day. How could I not fall in love? Of course, he's hopelessly spoiled, but then again, he puts up with our crazy antics (see below).

I first got the idea to make dog biscuits when my friend Eva abandoned our island of New York for the sandy, mango-filled island of Vieques, Puerto Rico. Eva left with a suitcase in one hand and her four legged companion, Qilin, in her sidecar. Their departure was met with great sadness on my part, so as a parting gift, I made a big bag of these delicious treats. Qilin loves these dog treats so much, he'll do four roll overs for one!

He's not the only one who will do tricks for a tasty bite. Watch the amazing aerialist Kugel below:



What a superstar!

Ivy won't do tricks for her treats. She just attacks the camera for her tasty bite. Note the large smudge. Her sweet wet nose smashed into the lens.

Before writing this post, I polled a number of friends about the idea of putting dog treats on our blog. The reactions were mixed. For those who are a bit squeamish, I didn't post any pictures of the treats in progress, only the beautiful finished treats and happy doggie faces: Qilin (Parson Russell Terrier), Nala (Mutt or 'Sato') , Kugel (Beagle), Oliver (Jack Russell), Ivy (a proud Mutt), Dante and Casey (Mini Poodles, not pictured).


Dog Treats
makes 167 3/4-inch round treats
(inspired by Traunfeld, Jerry. The Herbal Kitchen)

1 2/3 cup flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 1/2 cup rolled oatmeal
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 medium sized carrot
1 bunch parsley, roughly 1 cup
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 egg
1 cup water

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line one large baking trays with wax paper. Set aside.

Using a food processor, process carrot and parsley, stems and all. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, cornmeal, rolled oatmeal. Add flour mixture to parsley and continue to process until the mixture resembles coarse sand. Scoop in a generous 1/2 cup peanut butter. With the machine running, pour in 1 egg and water through the feed tube. Process until a dense, doughy paste forms. It should smell of peanut butter, garlic, and parsley. Turn out into a large mixing bowl. The dough should be a bit wet and a little sticky.

Lightly flour a clean work surface. Roll dough to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut using cookie cutter of your choice. I chose the smallest round fluted cutter I own. It measures 3/4-inch in diameter. A small size treat will make any dog happy, from mini poodle to beagle. The dogs love it.

Bake in the oven for 2 hours until hard and dry. Cool in the oven overnight. Store in an airtight container, away from inquisitive sniffers and tail waggers.