Because today is Gingerbread House Day, we thought we would be a little different and bring you a gingerbread dog house recipe.
We know the holidays are chock full of baked goods and treats for the humans. The good news is, with a few choice ingredients for a gingerbread house recipe for the dogs, you can make a pet safe Christmas treat your canine friends will give you the five star paws of excellence for. From our friends at Petsmart:
Note – These are intended for treats, not as food.
Treat your best friend to a happy holiday season by including him or her in your favorite traditions. Here’s a twist on a classic—a gingerbread house recipe made with some popular PetSmart® treats!
Ingredients for the dog-friendly gingerbread house recipe:
- 6 cups of unbleached flour
- 6 tbs baking powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ cup butter
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 cup blackstrap molasses
- 1 cup water (can be from doggie bowl)
- ¼ cup lemon juice (optional)
Baking:
- In a saucepan, heat the butter and molasses to a boil. Let it cool to room temperature and transfer to a mixer.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Stir flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in large bowl.
- Add two cups of flour to the molasses mixture and mix.
- Add egg, egg yolk and remaining flour into the mixture and mix.
- Add one cup of water and mix until dough ball forms. The dough should be sticky. Add water in small amounts (¼ cup-cup) if needed.
- Roll out dough to ¼’’ thick and cut out the walls, roof and door for your dog house.
- Bake in a non-stick tray at 325 degrees for 35-40 minutes.
Now for the fun part, decorating!
What you will need for the dog-friendly icing:
- 8 ounces of low-fat cream cheese
- 4 ounces of natural peanut butter (creamy peanut butter is a great addition to your dog’s favorite treats!)
PetSmart® treats you’ll need for decorating:
Decorating Tips:
- Frame the gingerbread pieces into the shape of a dog house, using the icing to hold the pieces together.
- Pup-Peroni® treats are perfect for lining the outside walls of your gingerbread dog house.
- Milo’s Kitchen® make great shingles for a roof.
- Milk-Bone® treats are the perfect fit for a dog house door and chimney.
And that’s it! This gingerbread house recipe is an easy, fun way to create a novel treat for your dog(s). It’s a great project to make your pets feel included in the season’s festivities.
If you would like to see a little different version created as you watch – you will find this video useful:
Related articles that may interest you – Dealing with Christmas Holiday Stress for Pets and 10 Best Dog and Cat Toys for Christmas Gifts
Attribution – from our friends at Petsmart.com