Let's Get Baking!

Have you seen the price of dog biscuits lately? I know times are hard but we can't deprive our four legged friends of their treats can we? So why not bake your own dog biscuits? You'll get more biscuits for your money and your dogs will love you even more as they wait, noses twitching for their special treats to cool fresh from the oven.

I'm a great believer in baking without the need to weigh ingredients. Yes I know we have to do this sometimes but would your dog be any the wiser if you didn't weigh each egg or delicately grate a carrot? The enjoyment of baking for a dog comes with the sound of  licking lips and the wagging of a tail as they enjoy the results of a special  baking session.

I wrote Canine Cuisine in 2010 as a bit of light relief after my other book, Showing Your Dog, A Beginner's Guide. The idea was to cram as many recipes for dogs treats and dinners between the covers as possible. I managed just over 100. I wanted the book to appeal to young and old owners and not just to those who were master bakers. Many measurements are given in mugs rather than cups as I like the idea of making larger batches of treats so that our days are spent out with our dogs and not stuck in the kitchen. When I've worked out how to link to Amazon I'll leave the appropriate buttons to push in case you would like to purchase a copy of the book. It's available as a Kindle download as well, how modern is that? Until then here is one of my favourite recipes. This is a great recipe for children to follow, what could be more fun than cooking for their own dog?

GARLIC KISSES

Ingredients

500g plain flour

2 tablespoons garlic granules

250g lard

Cold water

To make

Set oven to 220 c Gas mark 7

Place the flour into a large bowl and stir in the garlic granules.

Cube the lard and add to the flour.

Using your fingers blend in the fat until the mix resembles very fine breadcrumbs.

Add enough water to make a stiff dough.

Turn out onto a floured board and knead well to remove any air pockets.

Roll out to a depth of a quarter inch.

Using a sharp knife cut into strips approximately half an inch by six inches.

Pierce each straw several times with a fork to prevent them rising too much.

Cross each end of the strip over and carefully tie in a half knot,

Place onto a greased baking tray.

Bake in the middle of the oven and check after 15 minutes. The straws should be golden brown and crispy, Check that the knotted part is cooked thoroughly.

Turn out onto a cooling tray and sprinkle on a little more of the garlic granules.

When cold store in an airtight container.

Tip: Adjust the size of biscuit to the size of the dog and don't feed too many to the dog at one time. These are not meant to be a meal replacement.

Another tip: Supervise children around sharp knives. If blood drops into the mix it won't bother the dog but parents are bound to complain if their beloved loses a digit or two and I can't afford to be sued!