Sunday Bake of the Week: Peanut Butter Dog Biscuits

When we made the decision to avoid processed food as much as possible for our family, that included all members; furry or not.

However, it has taken this long for me to actually start making their treats myself. I am not sure why. Perhaps I imagined them to be more difficult than cookies designed for human consumption, or perhaps I just didn't know where to start looking for recipes.

Either way, I decided that I'd waited long enough; and that it was time I started making healthy and cost effective treats for our pets (with the added bonus of knowing exactly what I was feeding them!).

For the recipe, I knew I wanted one that was peanut butter-based. Both dogs go crazy over the stuff, and we still had almost a full jar of it that we were not going to eat ourselves (it was left a little too close to the edge of the counter and was "found" by the dogs - I never threw it in the compost though because I knew such an occasion would arise where I could use it!). I eventually found one and modified it slightly (substituting eggs for oil, and adding rolled oats), and the end result is a crunchy, yummy-smelling cookie that the dogs will do anything for!

Peanut Butter Dog Biscuits
Makes 50 medium sized biscuits
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpous flour
3/4 cups whole wheat flour/or any stoneground grain flour (I used a seven grain flour)
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 cup cold water
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 egg, beaten

In a large bowl, mix together dry ingredients. Quickly stir in the water, egg and peanut butter.

Transfer to a well floured surface, and after adding a couple handfuls of flour (I had to add about 4 in total to get a dough that was pliable but no longer sticky), begin to knead.

Once the dough is the right consistency, roll out to 1/4 of an inch thick. Cut with a cookie cutter appropriate for the dog consuming these (I have two medium dogs, but usually ere on the side of smaller, to make the treats last longer and give them less at a time).

Preheat the oven to 350 F, and bake the cookies for 20-25 minutes, or until they are a nice golden brown.

Transfer to racks to cool completely before storing in an airtight container, and just watch for the tail wagging to begin!