Homemade dog treats

There is nothing more satisfying than when your husband comes home and says ‘that smells delicious!’ Unfortunately for him, that delicious smell was dog treats. Very delicious dog treats according to Daisy.

We have never really been dog people but seeing how the kids reacted to dogs gradually changed our minds. Bradley, especially, was a lot less anxious and a lot more chilled. We spent a lot of time researching breeds before deciding that a cavoodle would best suit us, and before we knew it, a litter became available and we had a dog! Bradley chose Daisy from a photo and decided on her name, and she’s the perfect fit. I know that dogs are great service/therapy animals, but seeing it firsthand has blown me away. This little snoring and farting pocket rocket has changed our whole family. I mean, look at this little face. Wouldn’t you just love it waking you up in the morning?

These dog treats are from the the wonderful Thomas Keller’s Bouchon cookbook. They’re full of delicious ingredients like chicken livers and bacon, and the recipe makes heaps so you can share the love. And of course the ultimate would have been using a dog bone cookie cutter but naturally I left it too late to order one online. I used a 2½” rectangular cutter instead.

Daisy, you’re just too cute and we love you so much!

Ingredients

450g bacon, sliced into 1″ pieces
370g chicken livers, cut into ½” pieces
130g cornmeal
450g flour
235g chicken stock
50g ketchup
13g egg white

Method

Preheat your oven to 130°C and line a couple of trays with baking paper.
Heat a large non-stick frypan over medium-high heat, add the bacon and cook for about 5 minutes, until the fat has rendered and the bacon is a rich golden brown.
Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels.

Tip out most of the bacon fat but leave a generous film in the pan. Add the chicken livers ands sauté, turning them frequently and lightly smashing them. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the livers have broken down into a paste. Remove from the heat.
Tip the bacon into a food processor and pulse a few times to grind it. Add the chicken livers and process to combine, then add the cornmeal and process until you have a coarse mixture.

Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitter with the paddle attachment. Add the flour and mix to combine.
Slowly pour in the chicken stock and mix until the dough begins to gather around the paddle and feels moist to the touch.
Remove the dough from the mixer and knead just enough to combine.

Separate the dough into 2 pieces and work with one at a time.
Place one piece of dough between 2 sheets of baking paper and roll into a ½” thick sheet.
Cut or slice the dough into shapes and place on the baking tray. Knead the trimmings together and repeat.

Bake until the treats are completely dry, about 3 hours (see notes). Remove from the oven and reduce the temperature to 95°C.
Whisk together the ketchup and egg white and brush over the top of the warm treats.

Return the tray to the oven and bake for another 20-30 minutes, or until the glaze has set.

Place the trays on a cooling rack and cool for 10 minutes, then transfer the treats to the rack to cool completely.

Store in an airtight container for up to 1 month.

Notes

• Makes about 60 treats.
• Recipe via Bouchon Bakery cookbook.
• My treats took the full 3 hours to bake. I broke one apart at 2½ hours but it was still ever so slightly sticky in the middle.

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