Thursday, February 20, 2014

Naughty Dog Peanut Butter Pumpkin Treats (Grain Free)

I made Ruby some dog treats today.

After she ate Bubba's crayons.

Egad.  Nice.

The dog treats weren't a reward.  Certainly not.  But I already had the ingredients, E had the day off school due to snow (or no snow, as the case may be), and I wasn't going anywhere because I'm sick. Hacking up a lung, in fact.  And I felt like baking something, and no human in their right mind is going to eat baked goods made by a coughing sick person (i.e., me).  Sooo, dog treats for a naughty dog.  Right-o.

The whole reason I wanted to make Ruby some treats in the first place is because she's sort of been through a lot in the past month.  She had major surgery (which I shall refrain from describing on this, a food/family blog) and unexpectedly spent about three weeks at the puppy hospital recuperating.  We're really happy she's well enough to be home.  Not so happy about the crayon eating, but I digress.  Plus, she's almost out of kennel treats (which she gets when she goes "in in" to her kennel on her own), so the timing was good.  Anyhow, I made her some reward biscuits.  And she likes them.  Quite a lot.  She even seemed to know when I was mixing them up that they were for her.  She stalks me whenever I'm in the kitchen anyway, because apparently a lot of stuff ends up on the floor.  I know, because when she wasn't here, I had to get the vacuum out.  A lot.  She's a smarty, that one!
  
Naughty Dog Peanut Butter Pumpkin Treats (Grain Free)
from A Cozy Kitchen
Printer-friendly copy

2 1/2 cups garbanzo-fava flour (plus additional, as needed)
2 eggs
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
2 1/2 tablespoons peanut butter

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  In a large bowl, mix together flour, eggs, pumpkin, and peanut butter. Turn out dough onto a floured surface (it is sticky, so use additional flour as necessary). With a rolling pin, roll the dough to a thickness about 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch thick.  Using a cookie cutter of your choosing, cut the dough into shapes and transfer onto a Silpat-lined baking sheet.  Alternatively, use a medium-size cookie scoop to shape the dough and flatten slightly with a fork.  Bake for 30-40 minutes and allow to cool completely before serving to your pooch.  Store in a sealed container.


Wednesday, February 5, 2014

White Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

Peanut butter and white chocolate are two things I just cannot seem to get enough of.  I've been wanting to make these cookies for some time, but I didn't want a whole batch of them sitting on the countertop calling my name.  Because I'd answer.  So when the opportunity arose to take some cookies to someone who is doing us a ginormous favor, I totally jumped on it with these.  I hope our favorer likes them.  I certainly do!  If you make them, let me know what you think!



White Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
Adapted from Jif

Ingredients:
¾ cup creamy peanut butter
½ cup butter flavor vegetable shortening
1¼ cups light brown sugar, packed
3 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup bread flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
1 12-ounce bag white baking chips, or 12 ounces white chocolate, chopped

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In a large bowl, combine peanut butter, shortening, brown sugar, milk, and vanilla.  With a hand or stand mixer, cream together on medium speed until very well blended, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.  Add egg and beat briefly, just until blended.  Add flours, baking soda and salt and mix to combine at low speed; do not overmix.  Add in the baking chips or white chocolate, again just until blended.  Using a medium cookie scoop, place batter on baking sheets lined with a Silpat mat or parchment paper two inches apart.  Flatten slightly with the tines of a fork.  Bake 7 to 8 minutes or until set and just beginning to brown.  Cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.  Store in a sealed container.