Guest post article with dog treats recipe AND scrumptious bonbon recipe for us humans, by Cathy Brockway at Go Dog Nashville.
Christmas Cookies Recipes for Dogs and People. One for Me and One for You
Oneof my favorite Christmas activities is the days I spend in the kitchen, mixingbowls on hand, flour everywhere and whipping up batches of cookie dough toshare with family and friends. The smells, the spices, the flavors! Cookies sofestive, so pretty…but so unhealthy for those sad puppy-dog eyes watching me atmy feet.
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Thisyear, I decided to do some creative baking and came up with severaldog-friendly treats that complement the look and flavors of the cookies we lookforward to all year. Make Minty CarobLiver Bonbons for your dog and then mix up a batch of Chocolate Peppermint Bonbons for you. They look pretty enough for aparty. And your dog will appreciate the healthy ingredients.
Well, mostly your dog will appreciate the delicious tastes and smells!
Chocolate and mint are such a perfect holiday combination. But chocolate is a big no-no for our canine friends. Carob chips are a healthy alternative.
Ifyou’ve never tried carob before, you should! Some people call it a close tasteto chocolate – but carob comes from the pod of the carob tree. The inside pulpof the pod is scooped out, dried, roasted and made into powder or into chocolate-likechips. It’s low in sugar, high in fiber and has no caffeine. And perfectly safefor your dog to consume.
Toget that dark color cookie to match our people-cookie, a liver-based doughworks perfectly. And dogs adore liver! You can use whatever liver your pupprefers – my dog’s flavor-of-choice is beef.
Liver packs a mighty nutritional punch. Vitamin A and iron are most well-known, but liver also provides protein, some B vitamins and trace minerals. Using organic, free-range liver is optimal – but you can use whatever is readily available. It will still give your dog lots of benefits. If your dog is not used to consuming liver, you’ll want to start slowly and work your way up. High amounts of liver in the diet can cause some doggos to develop diarrhea. Since we’re making treats that are only given on occasion, the small amount of liver in these yummy cookies should cause no intestinal issues. As always, consult with your veterinarian for advice on what foods are best for your particular pup.
We hope you enjoy these cookies as much as we do. Cookies are just meant to share – and it’s good to have a safe, healthy alternative your dog can enjoy right along with you .
Minty Carob Bonbons Dog Treats Recipe
INGREDIENTS
- 1cGreek yogurt or kefirplain and unsweetened
- 1Tbsphoney
- 1/2cmint leavesbe sure and use a dog-safe mint, such as peppermint or spearmint)
- 10-12raspberriesfrozen is fine
- 1/2cliver
- 1coat flouror any flour your dog tolerates well
- 1/2cwheat flour
- 1egg
- 1Tbspcoconut oil
- 1/4ccarob chipsoptional, could also use dog-safe chocolate
INSTRUCTIONS
- Toss the first 3 ingredients in blender to make a mint yogurt mixture. Pulse for just a few moments to blend. If mixture is too thick, you can add a tablespoon of coconut water to thin. Break apart raspberries and add a few bits to a small silicon mold of your choice.
- Pour or spoon yogurt mint mixture on top of raspberries. You should see some green mint leaf and red raspberry in each. Freeze until solid.
- Preheat oven to 375F/190degC
- Place liver in food processor and blend until you have a paste. Transfer liver to a bowl. Add flours, eggs and oil and mix until dough forms. Turn out onto lightly floured surface and knead in carob chips if using. Roll into 1 inch balls and place on parchment lined baking sheets. Flatten balls slightly
- Bake for 20 minutes. Remove to racks to cool completely
- For optional decoration: When ready to serve, chop frozen peppermint treats into small pieces; attach to top of cookie with a dab of honey. Or you can simply attach the entire frozen treat
- These soft Liver Bonbons must be stored in the refrigerator and will keep for 2-3days. Freeze for longer storage
NOTES
Liver dries quickly and can be a challenge to get off your processor blades. Take a moment to rinse those off thoroughly as soon as you’ve processed the liver. Thank me later.
You can also roll out the dough into a rectangle, about ¼ inch thick and score into ¼ inch sections. Bake as directed then break apart into little bite-sized training treats.
Chocolate Peppermint Bonbons Recipe For You
Chocolate Peppermint Bonbons
Cathy Brockway
Ohh so decadent! These cookies are soft on the inside; infused with mint and rich with chocolate
Course Dessert
Cuisine cookies
Ingredients
- 8 oz bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate chopped
- 1/2 c unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 oz unsweetened chocolate chopped
- 1/2 c finely crushed, hard peppermint candies
- 6 tbsp sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp peppermint extract
- 1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Several coarsely chopped hard peppermint candies for decoration
Instructions
Combine first 3 ingredients in a large saucepan over low heat until chocolate melts andmixture is smooth, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in ½ cupcrushed peppermint and sugar. Let cool.
Add eggs one at a time to melted chocolate, stirring well. Stir in extracts.
Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Stir into chocolate mixture. Stir in chocolatechips. Cover and chill dough for about 2 hours or until firm
Preheat oven to 325F.
Shape dough into 1 ½ inch balls. Place on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.Bake for 12-13 minutes or until puffed and crinkly on top. Sprinkle coarselychopped peppermint candies on top, pressing lightly into top of cookie. Cool 5minutes on baking sheet then transfer to cooling racks.
Optional: Mix approx. ½ c. powdered sugar and a few teaspoons of milk to make a thinglaze. Drizzle over completely cooled cookies.
Notes
Recipe Notes: Here are my best tips for making ‘peppermint dust.’ You can certainly seal candy in a plastic bag and smash it with a rolling pin until it’s crushed. But here’s an easier way to get a nice consistency without too much mess. Seal peppermint candies in a zip plastic bag, removing as much air as you can. Then seal into a second plastic bag. Squeeze out air.
Place the bag on top of a cutting board to prevent damage to your counter. Using a meat mallet or hammer, roughly break the candy into pieces. The extra layers of plastic helps prevent the candies from puncturing the bag and getting all over the counter. Now simply empty crushed candy into your blender or food processor. A few moments on grind will produce a wonderful peppermint dust. The smaller candy pieces will be easier on your blades.
Making extra ‘peppermint dust’ gives you some to keep on hand for sprinkling in hot chocolate or coffee. Store in air-tight bags to keep it fresh.
Keyword bonbons, chocolate cookies, cookies
This is a guest post written by the lovely Cathy Brockway over at Go Dog Nashville. Pop over and see what she gets up to with her lovely dog, Chloe.
Find more dog treats recipes here.
Find more delicious recipes for us 2-legged beasties here.
