DIY Eat – The Barefoot Contessa’s Whole Wheat & Peanut Butter Dog Biscuits

My friend Joanne Newbold’s adorable dog Baxter is a three-year-old Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen (PBGB for short). He’s a French scenthound (think Inspector Clouseau) and, being French, he’s a serious gourmet. For Baxter and all my friends’ dogs, I thought it would be a fun to bake a special treat to keep their tails wagging. Dogs can’t resist peanut butter and I’ve mixed it with whole-wheat flour and wheat germ so it’s also good for them. Hope your dog finds it a triple woof, too!

Makes 10 – 20 biscuits

INGREDIENTS

• 1½ cups stone-ground whole wheat
flour
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup powdered or dry milk
• ½ cup quick-cooking oatmeal, plus
extra for sprinkling
• ½ cup smooth peanut butter
• 2 Tablespoons toasted wheat germ
• 1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water
for egg wash
• 1 cup water

INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1 Preheat the oven to 325°C. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Step 2 In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the two flours, the powdered milk, oatmeal, peanut butter, and wheat germ. With the mixer on low speed, add the egg and 1 cup of water and mix just until it forms a slightly sticky ball.

Step 3 Dump the dough out on a wellfloured board (I use all-purpose flour) and knead it into a ball. Roll the dough out ½-inch thick. Dip the cookie cutters [pictured is a mini cat-head cookie cutter, $8, coppergifts.com] in flour and cut out dog bone shapes. Collect the scraps, knead lightly, roll out again, and cut more dog biscuits.

Step 4 Place the biscuits on the prepared sheet pan and brush with the egg wash. Sprinkle with oatmeal and bake for one hour, until completely hard. Cool and toss to the hungry hound at your feet.