Peanut butter treats appeal to four-legged friends

This summer my husband and I took the plunge with a new addition to our home. No, as tempting as it was, we didn't install a swimming pool in the backyard. Instead we got in over our heads with a new puppy.

Goldie's first visit to the pet store drew mobs of fellow dog lovers alongside store employees armed with free treats. After all, who can resist a cute puppy? What I found surprising about all this was that Goldie didn't seem the least bit interested in the dog biscuits. Hmm. So much for those irresistible treats.

My curiosity piqued, I decided to investigate the dog treat aisle. Setting aside the rawhide chews, I turned my culinary eye toward the flavored biscuit section. With no shortage of cutesy marketing aimed at the owners, the extensive variety of sizes and flavors overwhelmed me. Time to consult the canine in the family.

There's no doubt that we garnered some interesting looks as both Goldie and I took turns sniffing our way through the dog biscuit section. It occurred to me that I needed to approach this challenge with the same culinary investigative techniques I employ in baking recipes for those of us walking on two legs.

Humans have a food behavior in common with dogs: our sense of smell will either make or break the choice of what ends up on the taste buds. That said, my first step involved determining the dominant ingredient in each dog biscuit.

Ingredients with a pungent or distinctive aroma capture a dog's attention. Biscuits basted with meat-flavored coatings offer bold taste, but even my human nose detected the salty background notes.

It didn't take long for me to realize that I could easily create a dog biscuit that Goldie would enthusiastically sink her teeth into. I did learn one important thing from sniffing those dog biscuits at the pet store: Goldie favored peanut butter scented and flavored treats.

Peanut butter takes our human noses and taste buds by storm as well with a potent punch of gooey texture and savory flavors. When it comes to kids' snacks, peanut butter ranks near the top of the most wanted list.

Starting with a peanut butter dog biscuit I found stashed in my files I set out to create an irresistible canine treat. Looking to increase the whole grain texture, I traded most of the all-purpose flour for whole wheat. A touch of sugar boosted browning during baking.

Imagine how disappointed I felt when Goldie turned her nose at my homemade biscuits. Didn't she know how much effort went into these treats? Faced with this brutal honesty, it was back to the test kitchen for me.

Building upon what I learned at the pet store, I replaced all the dairy butter in the recipe for the peanut variety. In addition, I switched from creamy to crunchy peanut butter to booth boost the nutty notes and enhance the texture.

These updates felt right to me as a baker. However, what seemed like an unrelated incident actually saved my culinary reputation. Goldie, with a puppy's curiosity, chewed into my husband's snack stash of roasted nuts.

Inspired, I brushed the biscuits with egg wash and generously sprinkled the tops with chopped peanuts before baking. Goldie loves her crunchy peanutty treats. Now I can go back to baking for humans again.

• Annie Overboe, a Culinary Institute of America graduate, lives in Villa Park. Send questions to Baking Secrets, Daily Herald Food section, P.O. Box 280, Arlington Heights, IL 60006, or e-mail food@dailyherald.com. Questions will not be responded to personally.

Peanutty Dog Biscuits

2 cups whole wheat flour

½ cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon sugar

⅔ cup crunchy peanut butter (see note)

2 large eggs, divided

½ cup milk

1 cup chopped peanuts, optional

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease or line two baking sheet with parchment paper.

In medium bowl, whisk flours and sugar until combined. Set aside.

In large bowl, whisk peanut butter, 1 egg and milk together until smooth. Add flour mixture and stir with fork until moistened. Add more milk if necessary.

Press dough together into ball. Cut dough ball into two even pieces.

Gently press each dough ball into flattened disc and cover in plastic wrap. Allow dough to rest at room temperature for 15 minutes. Roll each dough ball into inch thick circle. Cut into desired shapes and place on sheets. Sprinkle with nuts, if desired.

Bake until golden and firm; 30 minutes for medium sized biscuits and 20-25 minutes for smaller shapes. Cool 10 minutes on pan. Remove to rack and dry biscuits at room temperature for 1 to 2 days before wrapping and storing.

Makes 40 medium treats.

Baker's hint: For best results, use a low sugar peanut butter. Do not use reduced fat or artificially sweetened peanut butter.

@Recipe nutrition:Nutrition values per biscuit: 78 calories, 4g fat (1 g saturated), 7 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 3 g protein, 11 mg cholesterol, 27 mg sodium.