With the Weather Outside so Frightful, Stay Inside and Bake Something Delightful

What is it about the holidays that inspires one to dust off the baking pans, don an apron and start mixing up a batch of something delicious? Maybe it’s the change in weather, spending more time indoors, the smell of freshly baked cookies to bring back childhood memories, or all of the above. Whatever the reason, ‘tis the season for whipping up some delicious treats for you and your hound!
 
If pressed for time or baking is not your style, Droolz Organics’ healthy, ready-to-bake dog treats are perfect. They come already mixed, cut into heart shapes, and ready to throw in the oven. Fifteen minutes later, you have freshly baked dog cookies. Made in Seattle, Droolz are loaded with wholesome, organic fruits and veggies, so you can offer your furry family members and friends a treat you can feel good about—even if you didn’t totally bake them yourself. Droolz is sold in Seattle at Scraps Dog Bakery, 2200 Westlake.
 
If baking is your style, here are two recipes from CityDog Magazine readers that are sure to make tails wag! Give them as gifts to your dog’s dog park pals or let your treat hound keep them all for himself.

Rascal’s Christmas Cupcakes

Ingredients:
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
(or about 12 ounces ground chicken)
4 eggs
½ cup canola oil
1 ½ cups oat flour
½ tsp baking powder
½ cup canola oil
½ cup chopped Italian parsley
½ cup grated carrot
For the "frosting:"
Whipped cream cheese
Unsalted chicken broth to taste

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350.Grease cake or muffin tins.
2. Puree the chicken breasts in a food processor until minced. Add eggs and oil; pulse lightly until combined. Combine oat flour and baking powder; add to chicken mixture and pulse until combined. Add parsley and carrot and pulse until thoroughly distributed. (Can all be combined by hand if you don’t have a processor).
3. Pour mixture unto cake or muffin tin(s). Cake(s) will raise slightly, so don’t overfill the muffin tins too much.
4. Bake about 30 minutes for muffins, about 45 minutes for one large cake — or until a thermometer inserted into cake reads 180 degrees. Cool completely.
5. To frost, whip pre-whipped cream cheese with a few tablespoons of unsalted chicken broth. Spread liberally onto cake(s).
 
Recipe courtesy of Rascal’s mom, Rose Bigham.

Steve and Kat’s Wooscotti

Ingredients:
In a mixer, combine:
2 cups whole-wheat flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 pinches ground cinnamon
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup milk

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400.Grease cookie sheet.
2. Place dough on cookie sheet and shape into a long, flat log (about 1-inch thick).
3. Bake for 20 minutes.
4. Let cool then cut into 1-inch thick slices and bake for another 10-12 minutes until crisp.
5. While Wooscotti is cooling, melt about ½ cup of carob chips in microwave. If you need to thin the melted carob, just add a bit of water. Once your carob is melted, drizzle it over sliced Wooscotti.
 
Recipe courtesy of Steve and Kat’s mom, Valerie Barker-Biggs.
 
Photo Captions and Credit:
 
1. Elise Vincentini, owner of Downtown Dog Lounge, bakes up a batch of treats for Lily and Gunner. Photo by J. Nichole Smith, Dane + Dane Studios.
2. Droolz Organics comes already mixed, cut into shapes and ready to throw in the oven. Photo by J. Nichole Smith, Dane + Dane Studios.

--Brandie Ahlgren, CityDog Magazine
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Brandie Ahlgren is the publisher of CityDog Magazine and a regular contributor to Wag Reflex. Subscribe to CityDog Magazine here.

Comments

[Judy Farris on January 13, 2009 at 10:56 AM]

These recipes sound great! I have a fifteen year old golden retriever who is allergic to the food color in some dog foods. He can only have brown dry food or food we make for him. He loves grated apples, carrots, and broccoli mixed in with his dry food. We try to keep him at a low weight because of hip dysplasia. I have written a book for children about him that will soon be availabe online at Amazon.com It is called Mr. Boo Bear and should be available by early March. I would love to have some recipes like this to put on my web page at booksbyjudy.com. May I use them? Thank you.

[Rose Bigham on July 09, 2009 at 10:17 AM]

One thing I forgot to mention about Rascal's Pupcake recipe in the magazine: I intentinally did not use any wheat or corn products in it as those are often allergens for some dogs. Rascal's pupcakes are wheat-free and low-fat!

- Rascal's mom

[joesen on December 29, 2010 at 10:30 PM]

Maybe it’s the change in weather, spending more time indoors, the smell of freshly baked cookies to bring back childhood memories, or all of the above. Whatever the reason, ‘tis the season for whipping up some delicious treats for you and your hound!