The boys got their way with more pup treats!

Time got away from me this week - the poor pups had to suffer a few days without any homemade treats... tragic I know, right?

(Spike was not in the mood for camera time today.. boo!)

They survived, but after a few days of whining (can we say spoiled?), I rolled up my sleeves and threw together a special batch of treats for them.

For an array of texture in these Vanilla-Peanut Butter Treats, we used a few different dry ingredients - whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, cornmeal, rolled oats and rye flour. To moisten that combination, a wet mixture is whisked together consisting of water, canola oil, a few tablespoons of creamy peanut butter and the surprise ingredient, aromatic vanilla! If this mixture is too wet, don't be afraid to add additional whole wheat flour- the dough will be a little soft, but shouldn't be sticky. You will also want to be generous with the flour as you roll and cut out the dough. This makes several dozen treats, depending on the size of your cutter, so if you can't fit them all on a couple baking sheets, cover and set the filled sheets aside while the others bake. While I was cleaning up, I had set a wire rack filled with cookies on a smaller table in the kitchen to cool and as soon as I turned my back, I heard little nails slowly prancing on the hardwood floors heading straight for them. Luckily, I caught Max just in time before he decided to gorge himself on more than his fair share!

Once I had gotten those out of the way, I also needed to get our favorite Hamburger Buns together so we could serve tonight's dinner, Glazed Bacon-and-Cheese-Filled Burgers, on them.

"Glazed" is used loosely for these - there is not a wet mixture spread on them per se, but instead a generous amount of a spices are rubbed on the formed burgers. Dark brown sugar, paprika, garlic with smoky cumin and chipotle powder are combined to form said spice mixture. Because that mixture has a high sugar content, it melts and caramelizes as it heats up. The ground sirloin used for the burgers is first shaped into eight patties, with four of them having a mound of sharp white cheddar and crispy bacon crumbles placed on them. The remaining four patties are added on top and the two are melded together - be sure to pinch the edges well so all of the cheese stays inside. I loved how the salty crisp bacon spread its smoky flavor throughout the meat as the burgers cooked. With three tablespoons of dark brown sugar in the rub, you may think it would add an unpleasant sweetness - however, combined with the savory spices, the combination just adds a barbecue depth without the mess.

Recipes
Vanilla-Peanut Butter Treats
Glazed Bacon-and-Cheese-Filled Burgers