It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and it’s a time when you spoil your friends, family and loved ones absolutely rotten with too much food, drink and presents. Well, if being a mother to a four-legged furry child has taught me anything, it’s taught me that these little guys and gals are just as special as any child is, and they deserve a special treat come Christmas time too!

So that’s why, this Christmas, as my family sits around my cramped dining table and tucks into their treats, I thought I would give a little treat to the dogs too. If you feel the same way, then check out this excellent recipe for a Christmas present they will never forget!

Ingredients:

2/3 cup pumpkin puree (I ended up using 2 small jars of baby food, which was actually pumpkin, carrot and beef flavoured but it seemed to work just as well.

1/4 cup peanut butter

2 large eggs

2 1/2 cups wholemeal self-raising flour, and add more as desired.

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees c and line a baking sheet with baking paper
2. In a bowl, beat the puree, peanut butter and eggs with an electric mixer until well-combined. I had a bit of trouble because the mixture stuck to the paddles a lot, so make sure you use open mixers instead of a classic beater.
3. Gradaually, pour in the 2 and 1/2 cups of wholemeal flour, mixing as you go. If you need more to make sure the mixture isn’t sticky, add another 1/2 a cup.
4. Once your mixture is in a dough shape, knead it together and then use a rolling pin and lightly floured surface to roll the dough until it is about 1/4 inch thickness. Use Christmas cookie cutters to create the Christmas themed treats, and place the cut cookies onto the prepared baking sheet.
5. Place the baking sheet of cookies into oven and bake until the edges are golden brown, which should be for about 20 minutes.
6. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool completely. Once they are cooled, you can decorate as you wish, place in a little bag and add a cute little Christmas tag. Your dog deserves to know which presents are his under the tree (just make sure they aren’t under the Christmas tree for more than a night, because you might wake up on Christmas morning to find all of your presents have already been opened by a nosy little puppy!)