Molasses Banana Biscuits (Munching with Maddie… And Yellowdog!)

It’s been such a busy few weeks… I am feeling the crunch of a late Thanksgiving and fewer days between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Even though we’ve pulled back on gift giving and spending over the past few years, I feel as though the hype of the Christmas season continually makes it all crazier and more stressful every year.

I have to say that all of the TV ads and barrage of emails for the “best sale of the season” every *single* day have made me want to spend less, not more.  I haven’t been to the mall yet, and I’m not sure I will even go this year at all.  Instead, I’ve been focused on making a lot more homemade gifts.

If you have furry babies (or friends and family who are doggy lovers), I’d definitely recommend making some homemade doggy treats to stuff their stockings.  After all, Santa Paws can’t do all the work, right?

Maddie and I (which really means just me) made these yummy molasses banana doggy treats for Yellowdog’s birthday a few weeks ago.  After much research into homemade teething biscuits and a few years experience making homemade dog treats, I realized that they are pretty much the same thing. So, I had the brilliant idea that we would have a tea party for Yellowdog’s birthday and Maddie and Yellowdog could both snack on some of the treats.  It seemed like a great idea.

The only problem with making treats for both Maddie and Yellowdog to snack on is that Yellowdog doesn’t share well with Maddie.  Their relationship is built on the fact that Maddie loves to share with Yellowdog (she has figured out that affection can be bought with snacks).  Yellowdog mostly just likes to steal stuff from Maddie.

I dressed the girls up for the tea party – Maddie in her cute red hat, and Yellowdog in a red scarf. I got them both in the playroom and we set up Maddie’s tea set and got ready to settle in for some treats. I had tasted one before hand, and they were yummy. Maddie started chomping away happily on a treat when Yellowdog snatched it right out of her hand… Maddie screamed. And, then the crazy dog proceeded to eat about a dozen more treats before I could get a hand on the situation.

So, while I can’t recommend trying to sit your energetic yellow lab down with your toddler for a tea party to share some biscuits, I can highly recommend these dog treats.  I had a quick nibble of them to make sure the texture was right for Maddie.  And, well, we all know Yellowdog approved.

Molasses Banana Biscuits (for dogs or teething babies!)
Makes 16 cookies (approx. 2 1/2 inches long)

• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons blackstrap molasses
  (Note – Other molasses, including “dark” molasses should not be given to dogs… But, according to my research, blackstrap molasses is OK)
• 1 very ripe banana, mashed
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (plus additional for sprinkling work surface)
• 1/2 cup quick cooking oats

Preheat the oven to 300°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the egg, olive oil, and molasses.  Stir in the banana, mixing until smooth.  Add the whole wheat flour and oats, and stir to form a soft dough.  Turn the dough out onto a floured surface.  Roll out to approximately 1/2-inch thickness.

Use a cookie cutter to cut shapes, or simply use a knife to cut into squares or rectangles.  Place the cookies/biscuits on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for about 45 – 50 minutes.  For extra hard cookies (perfect for teething babies), turn off the oven and leave the biscuits in the oven for an additional hour or so.