Barefoot Contessa’s Whole Wheat Peanut Butter Dog Biscuits

Borough Market Cheese Toastie

June 14, 2017

Salsa Baked Goat Cheese and Chorizo Dip

July 3, 2017

Bone Appétit!

Barefoot Contessa’s Whole Wheat Peanut Butter Dog Biscuits

Dog Treats

As some of you may know, we have two Pembroke Welsh corgis named Frankie and Remi. They are brother and sister from the same litter. We adopted them when they were two years old. They are joyful and exuberant (although they were quite tired on that long drive home seven years ago).

As seen in this Vanity Fair piece, corgis are Queen Elizabeth’s favorite dog.

They are also super smart and athletic. Because they are herding dogs, they need to be kept busy. We have taken many agility classes over the years and even once took them to a ranch in Malibu to herd sheep. That experience set us back $150, but I got lots of exercise chasing the sheep while Frankie and Remi barked at me.

To celebrate Frankie and Remi’s 9th birthday this year, we decided to have dog friends, Kona and Kaleia, over for a Dog Party! (or Bark Fest in this case (herding dogs, they bark a lot).

Tucked behind the intro and before the cocktails page of Ina Garten’s Make It Ahead is a recipe for Whole Wheat Peanut Butter Dog Biscuits. This recipe makes a lot of biscuits which is perfect as you can send them home as party favors. (Yes, our dogs are spoiled!)

INGREDIENTS:

1 ½ c. stone-ground whole wheat flour
1 c. all-purpose flour
½ c. powdered milk
½ c. quick-cooking oats (not instant), plus extra for sprinkling
½ c. smooth peanut butter
2 T. toasted wheat germ
1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
1 egg beaten with 1 T. water for the egg wash
dog bone-shaped cookie cutter

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 325°. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. [Ina’s recipe says to use an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, but as I don’t have one, a hand mixer worked just as well.] In a large bowl, combine the two flours, powdered milk, oats, peanut butter, and wheat germ. With the mixer on low speed, add the egg and 1 cup of water and mix until it just forms a slightly sticky ball.

Dump the dough out on a well-floured board and knead it into a ball. Roll the dough out ½ inch thick (if these biscuits are for smaller dogs, roll the dough a little thinner, so they are easier to bite into). Dip a dog bone-shaped cookie cutter in flour and cut out shapes. Collect the scraps, knead lightly, roll out again, and cut more dog biscuits.

Place the biscuits on the prepared sheet pans and brush with the egg wash. Sprinkle with oats and bake for 1 hour, until completely hard. Cool and store in an airtight container. Use within one week as they contain no preservatives.