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:
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees c and line a baking sheet with baking paper
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Place the baking sheet of cookies into oven and bake until the edges are golden brown, which should be for about 20 minutes.
- 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!)