Dog Treats/Human Treats

A couple weeks ago, I went to our awesome local library to pick up some of my books on hold. One of my finds was Doggy Desserts by Cheryl Gianfrancesco, full of so many creative, healthy puppy snacks. I chose the Cheddar Cheese Sticks first because we had all the ingredients on hand & they did not seem too complicated or messy. Ruben heartily endorses this recipe. They seem to be his all-time favorite snack!

Cheddar Cheese Sticks *from Doggie Desserts

2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup water

In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients until combined (I also added about a tablespoon of dried parsley & a little extra liquid). Knead the dough only enough to get it together. Roll it out between two layers of parchment until 1/4 inch thick. Cut into 1/2-by 2-inch strips. Place treats on a cookie sheet (I stamped these treats w/a mini heart cutter, not piercing through the entire cookie) and bake for about 15 minutes. Turn oven off, but leave the door shut for 1-2 hours, so that the treats can dry out & harden. Makes about 3 dozen treats.

Since Ruben is covered, I kind of craved a crunchy snack of the human sort. I finally tried Isa’s Vegan Graham Crackers, which are so easy and delicious, they’ll make you feel like a kid again. I am halfway tempted to sandwich them with a fluffy buttercream frosting, but will probably just nibble on them as they are. I went with the cinnamon sugar option in order to make them extra nice.

Here is the recipe. Try them when you’ve got the munchies for a simple, wholesome snack.