Max has been pretty stressed out after loosing his buddy, but day by day his old snarky self seems to be coming back. I thought it was a good time to lift his spirits with a new doggy treat that had an extra special twist just for him.
Our fluffy mess(!) has yet to turn away any homemade treats and we think he tends to enjoy them on the crunchier side. So, for these
Crunchy Sesame-Rye Treats, I used a variety of dry ingredients to give flavor and texture - whole wheat flour, rye flour, rolled oats and cornmeal for extra crunch. For the sesame seeds, we used a fairly small handful as they are somewhat high in the fat department - you could even go a bit less if you wanted since the tiny seeds distribute well into the dough, but Max is a pretty active pup.
When you mix everything together, the dough will probably still be a little moist - if so, turn it out onto a floured surface and knead in as much whole wheat flour as necessary to smooth it out. It shouldn't be sticky, but you don't want it too dry either. Using a few small cookie cutters, we ended up with several dozen treats - I lost count! For that extra special twist I mentioned, we went ahead and melted a bit of carob chips (do not use chocolate) and dipped the half of about one-third of the total amount. Not all carob will react the same to melting... you can try using the microwave, but I got the best results by using the old fashioned way of setting a bowl over simmering water. If the brand you try does not melt well enough to dip, you may have to add just a touch of shortening to smooth it out. Here's a snap of him after he gave them a test - I think his reaction says it all!
Our fluffy mess(!) has yet to turn away any homemade treats and we think he tends to enjoy them on the crunchier side. So, for these Crunchy Sesame-Rye Treats, I used a variety of dry ingredients to give flavor and texture - whole wheat flour, rye flour, rolled oats and cornmeal for extra crunch. For the sesame seeds, we used a fairly small handful as they are somewhat high in the fat department - you could even go a bit less if you wanted since the tiny seeds distribute well into the dough, but Max is a pretty active pup.
When you mix everything together, the dough will probably still be a little moist - if so, turn it out onto a floured surface and knead in as much whole wheat flour as necessary to smooth it out. It shouldn't be sticky, but you don't want it too dry either. Using a few small cookie cutters, we ended up with several dozen treats - I lost count! For that extra special twist I mentioned, we went ahead and melted a bit of carob chips (do not use chocolate) and dipped the half of about one-third of the total amount. Not all carob will react the same to melting... you can try using the microwave, but I got the best results by using the old fashioned way of setting a bowl over simmering water. If the brand you try does not melt well enough to dip, you may have to add just a touch of shortening to smooth it out. Here's a snap of him after he gave them a test - I think his reaction says it all!
Your dog is sooooooo cute! And those treats are just a labor of love!
ReplyDeleteAwww...Max is really cute and you are so sweet to bake him a special treat! I am sure he is loving his yummy baked goods!
ReplyDeleteCourtney
Those dog cookies look so good I think I'd eat one. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry Max is missing his buddy, but he's so lucky to have you to spoil him and bake goodies for him. He's really adorable, and I'm glad to hear his snarky self is re-emerging.
The treats are cute, but your dog is cuter! What a gorgeous photo!
ReplyDeleteTry mixing a bit of peanutbutter into the carob while melting. I agree with you, you get better texture by melting it over a double boiler.
ReplyDeleteCC - Max sends many thanks!
ReplyDeleteCourtney - he is scarfing them down!
Mindy - hee hee!
Tracy - It's all in the fluffball!
Anon - I'll have to try that!