The Healthy Hound Cookbook: Over 125 Easy Recipes for Healthy, Homemade Dog Food--Including Grain-Free, Paleo, and Raw Recipes! (14 page)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease two cookie sheets.
   
2. In a large bowl, mix the flour and baking powder. In a blender or food processor, combine the turkey, olive oil, and egg (and some of the water or broth as needed). When the turkey is the consistency of baby food, add cranberries and continue to mix.
   
3. Pour this mixture into the mixing bowl with the dry ingredients and stir to create a thick dough.
   
4. On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough. (This is a heavy dough so you’ll need to put a little muscle in it!)
   
5. Cut into biscuit shapes and place on cookie sheets. Bake for 25 minutes. Cool completely before serving or refrigerating. Refrigerate for 3 days or freeze in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
   

Be sure to save one of these tasty treats for Santa! Although any fresh apples you may have on hand will work, some apple varieties are better than others for cooking. Look for Baldwin, Empire, Golden Delicious, or McIntosh, all excellent varieties.

YIELDS: 16 muffins

1 cup fresh cranberries

1 apple, peeled and cored

1 cup pecans or almonds, divided

2 cups all-purpose flour

¹
⁄
₃
cup molasses

1 egg

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup water

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray muffin tins or line with parchment cups.
   
2. Chop cranberries, apple, and half the nuts in a food processor or blender.
   
3. In a large bowl, combine all other ingredients; when mixed, add cranberry-apple-nut mixture and stir. Pour (heavy) batter into the muffin pans. Top with the remaining nuts.
   
4. Bake for 30 minutes, then cool completely before serving and refrigerating. Refrigerate for 5 days or freeze in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
   

These tasty pretzels are like an appetizer for a holiday gathering. Be warned: They’re habit-forming!

YIELDS: 12 (5") treats

1 packet (2
¹
⁄
₄
teaspoons) active instant yeast

1
¹
⁄
₂
cups warm water

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 pound thin-sliced bacon strips

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
   
2. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water, stirring slowly. When dissolved, add salt and sugar.
   
3. Slowly add flour, 1 cup at a time, until dough is no longer sticky.
   
4. Turn dough out on a floured surface. Knead dough, then divide into 12 portions. Use palms of hands to form a rod with each portion.
   
5. Wrap each rod with a strip of bacon, spiraling down the rod to cover the entire treat. Place on cookie sheet.
   
6. Bake about 15 minutes, until the bread is cooked and the bacon is browned.
   
7. Cool completely before refrigerating or serving to dogs. Refrigerate for 3 days or freeze in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
   

Cupcakes are all the rage now, and canine cupcakes are no exception! These are tasty just as they are, with no frosting, but they can be decorated for an extra-special touch.

YIELDS: 10 cupcakes

1 egg

1 teaspoon molasses

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup Pumpkin Purée (see
Chapter 15
)

4 tablespoons (
¹
⁄
₄
cup) butter, melted

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position. Preheat oven to 350°F.
   
2. Lightly grease a muffin tin or line with parchment cups.
   
3. In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients; mix thoroughly. Pour batter into prepared tin and bake for 30–35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
   
4. Remove from oven and transfer cupcakes to cool on a wire rack. Cool completely before frosting or serving. Refrigerate for 5 days or freeze in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
   

Mashed Potato Icing

Make a special occasion even more special by icing a tasty dog biscuit or cupcake. This healthy icing can be used in place of traditional white sugar-based icing.

YIELDS: 2 cups

2 medium potatoes

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

2 quarts water

2 tablespoons sour cream

1. Wash and peel potatoes, paying special attention to remove and discard any green portions of the potato. Cube potatoes and place in a large saucepan. Add parsley and cover with water.
   
2. Bring to a boil then reduce heat; simmer for 25 minutes.
   
3. Remove potatoes and parsley from water and mash using a potato masher or fork. Add water as needed if mixture is too dense.
   
4. Add sour cream. With a fork or whisk, combine into a smooth mix with no lumps. Refrigerate for 5 days or freeze in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
   

Cream Cheese Icing

You can use this yummy icing as the final touch on lots of doggie goodies. Not only is it delicious, the yogurt has health benefits for canines, too. Along with animal protein, yogurt offers calcium, vitamins B
₂
and B
₁₂
, potassium, and magnesium.

YIELDS: 1 cup

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons low-fat plain yogurt

2–3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1. Combine cream cheese and yogurt in a medium bowl, stirring to mix. Slowly add in flour a bit at a time until desired consistency is reached.
   
2. Refrigerate icing and treats after decorating. Refrigerate for 5 days or freeze in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
   

Celebrate your dog’s birthday or gotcha day with this cupcake that’s pretty enough for photos. Liver icing makes it a canine favorite. Our 65-pound dogs enjoyed an entire cupcake each, but smaller dogs will need to have only a portion of the cupcake and save some of the birthday fun for the next day’s treat.

YIELDS: 4 large cupcakes

CUPCAKES:

1 cup white flour

1 egg

¹
⁄
₄
cup organic unsweetened peanut butter

¹
⁄
₄
cup Pumpkin Purée (see
Chapter 15
)

1 teaspoon baking soda

4 tablespoons (
¹
⁄
₄
cup) butter, melted

¹
⁄
₂
cup water

FROSTING:

¹
⁄
₄
pound chicken liver, rinsed and cooked

4 ounces cream cheese, warmed nearly to room temperature

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray or grease a large cupcake tin.
   
2. In a large bowl, combine all cupcake ingredients, mixing thoroughly.
   
3. Divide mixture into four large cupcake tins. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, approximately 30 minutes.
   
4. Set aside to cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
   
5. To prepare the frosting: In a medium bowl, add the chicken liver. Use a fork to mash the chicken liver to a fine consistency. Add cream cheese and mix thoroughly using a fork or a hand mixer. Refrigerate any leftovers for 3 days or freeze in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
   

Would you and your pooch like a quick trip to the Caribbean? Or how about an evening in jolly old England? It’s an easy order with one of our international doggie dishes, ones that you can share with your dog for a taste of travel in your own home. Though they don’t typically like spicy food, dogs can appreciate different flavors now and then. The tastes in these dishes are unique, but the ingredients are still easy to find and are loved by all types of dogs.

Anise is an herb that has been prized for centuries for its aromatic properties, and some dogs react to anise like cats to catnip. Used to impart a sweet taste in licorice, the seeds also make flavorful dog treats.

YIELDS: 20 (1
¹
⁄
₂
") treats

2 cups all-purpose flour

4 tablespoons (
¹
⁄
₄
cup) butter, softened to room temperature

¹
⁄
₄
cup molasses

1 egg

2 teaspoons anise seed

1 teaspoon baking powder

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease two cookie sheets.
   
2. Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl; the result is a heavy, slightly sticky dough.
   
3. Pinch small pieces about the size of a large marble, roll between your palms, and slightly flatten with a fork before placing on the cookie sheets.
   
4. Bake; these cook quickly, so they’ll be ready in about 15 minutes.
   
5. Let them cool completely before refrigerating (and your kitchen will smell wonderful in the meantime!). Refrigerate for 5 days or freeze in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
   

Shepherd’s Favorite Pie

Also known as cottage pie, this easy-to-prepare casserole can be a favorite with Shepherds—not to mention Collies, Boxers, and every other breed.

YIELDS: 9 cups

1 large potato

2 medium sweet potatoes

1 pound chicken (any cut), cooked

¹
⁄
₂
pound chicken heart, cooked

¹
⁄
₄
cup chicken broth

2 tablespoons bacon fat, melted (optional)

1 cup shredded carrots

2 stalks celery, minced

1 cup low-fat cottage cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
   
2. Peel and quarter the potatoes, making sure to remove any green parts, then boil them until both types are tender.
   
3. Finely chop chicken and chicken hearts, removing any fat; mix with chicken broth and bacon fat (if using) in a large bowl. Add carrots and celery, then place in a 9" × 13" baking dish. Top with cottage cheese.
   
4. Mash potatoes; you can mix the types of potatoes together or keep them separate to create white and orange rows.
   
5. Spread potatoes on top of casserole, either spreading with a fork or piping them onto the casserole. If spreading, use a fork to create peaks in the potatoes for browning.
   
6. Bake for 40 minutes. Cool before serving. Refrigerate for 3 days or freeze in an airtight container for up to 6 months.