Lucky dogs: Get the kids involved with making delicious pupcakes and dog biscuits
One of the most popular classes I offer includes nothing to eat for the participants. In Best Furry Friends Forever, we make treats for our dogs. Some of the sweet kids in class don't even have dogs - they make the treats to give to a relative's pets.
The doggy desserts use ingredients that are perfectly safe for people to eat. They are full of good stuff like bananas, yogurt, carrots, whole wheat flour, pumpkin and peanut butter, but lack the sugar humans expect in a dessert. The frosting on the pupcakes, for instance, is mashed potato. Still, it was rather thrilling for the kids to taste everything and boast to their parents that they ate dog food.
It is essential to note some human-safe ingredients that are bad for dogs. Xylitol, a sugar substitute, is toxic to dogs; some nut and seed butter brands contain it. Most don't, but be sure to read the label. Avocados are another no-no for Fido, so don't use avocado oil in the pupcakes recipe.
We made three recipes, which I share here: dog biscuits, pupcakes and pawmpkin pie. The last one is meant to be a filler for Kong toys. Bored dogs are bad dogs. Puzzling out how to extract the pumpkin-y goodness keeps them entertained for hours. Or, with my pups, minutes. They are too smart and food-motivated to make the game last any longer. If your dog is the same, pop the stuffed Kong in the freezer to raise the degree of difficulty and make things less messy. If you don't have a Kong, you could freeze individual portions in an ice cube tray or small container. Your dog could still enjoy the treat without having to work for it.
The bone-shaped cookie cutters are not strictly necessary for the biscuits. The dogs couldn't care less. But they are a big hit with the kids. Even when we are making cookies for humans, they all want to make bone shapes rather than circles, hearts or stars.
Kids love cooking techniques that feel like acts of mild vandalism. So let them mash the bananas in the pupcakes and jam the pawmpkin filling into the Kong.
We wrap up the class with a dog trick demonstration by my three golden retrievers. The kids get to practice giving commands (Off! Sit! Leave It!) and are absolutely delighted when the dogs take their cue. It is empowering for a small child when a much larger dog obeys them. And mine will do pretty much anything for a biscuit.
• Leslie Meredith is the winner of the 2019 Cook of the Week Challenge and teaches people how to grow and cook "real" food. She runs Farmhouse School on a historic homestead in Campton Hills. See the school's Facebook or Instagram pages @FarmhouseSchool or contact Leslie at food@dailyherald.com.
Dog Biscuits
1 cup pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
1/3 cup nut or seed butter (containing no xylitol, an artificial sweetener that's bad for dogs)
2 eggs
2 cups whole wheat flour
All-purpose flour (for dusting)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, nut/seed butter and eggs. Whisk until well-mixed. Add flour and stir until just combined.
Roll out dough on a lightly floured counter, to ¼ inch, using flour as needed if dough is sticky. Use cookie cutters to cut into desired shape and place on the prepared sheet pan.
Bake for 30 minutes and cool on a rack.
Makes 48
From momontimeout.com
2 overripe bananas, mashed
½ cup nut or seed butter (containing no xylitol, an artificial sweetener that's bad for dogs)
1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons honey, divided
2 eggs
1½ cups whole wheat flour
2½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ cup vegetable oil (not avocado)
¾ cup + 2 tablespoons water, divided
1 pound potatoes (we used white, but sweet potatoes would work and are more nutritious)
½ cup plain yogurt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin tin with paper liners.
Mash bananas in a bowl until smooth. Add peanut butter, 1/3 cup of the honey and the eggs. Whisk until smooth.
Add flour, baking powder, oil and ¾ cup of water. Whisk again until blended.
Fill muffin cups, no more than ¾ of the way full. Bake for 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cupcake comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, peel and cut the potatoes into 1-inch pieces. Place in a large pot of water, bring to a boil and cook for 20 minutes or until very soft and starting to fall apart. Drain. (NOTE: if you wait until the water is boiling before adding the potatoes, they may not cook evenly.)
Beat potatoes, yogurt, and remaining honey and water with an electric mixer for 1 minute on low, increasing to medium for 1 minute or until smooth and creamy. Add more water if needed. Swirl onto cooled cupcakes.
Makes 12
From recipetineats.com
Pawmpkin Pie (Kong filler)
1½ cups grated carrot
1 cup chopped apple
2 cups pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling or sweetened)
8 dog biscuits
Mix everything together in a large bowl to form a thick paste. Fill the Kong using a long-handled spoon. Pack firmly and stick a dog biscuit in the end so that part of it peeks out. Give Kong to your delighted doggo.
Fills 4 medium Kong toys
Leslie Meredith