At this time of year, there are very poor quality treats for sale and often it is difficult to find out the actual contents used to make them and the country of origin. The solution is to make your own!
What you will need:
250g Organic Spelt flour or flour of choice. If you need a gluten-free recipe then a mixture of buckwheat, coconut, chickpea is a good choice.
A generous pinch of any of the following seeds eg Flax, hemp, sunflower, chia
25g Jumbo oats or ground almonds
2 Tsp Hedgerow Hound Herbs
2 medium free-range eggs
1Tablespoon melted coconut oil or Olive oil
Approx. quarter pint of water
Add one of these extras for added taste: A single pilchard from a tin (drained & flaked with a fork) will make them extra tasty and nutritious Or a level tablespoon of dog-friendly peanut butter ( I use Pip & Nut which is Xylitol & palm oil free) but always check the label of your chosen brand.
Mix ingredients into a dough, adding a little more water if necessary. Roll out onto a floured surface, keeping a fairly consistent thickness so every treat cooks at the same time
Cut out the shapes with your chosen cutters and place them onto a baking tray, preferably lined with baking parchment or lightly oiled.
Place in a preheated oven at 180c for around 30 minutes, thicker treats will take a little longer. If you are using a fan oven decrease the oven temperature.
Once cooked leave the baking trays on the side to cool slightly then place the treats onto a wire rack until completely cool. Make sure the biscuits are cold before bagging or putting them into a container. Any warmth from the treats will cause condensation in the bag and the treats will soon go mouldy.
For decoration: I used Carob powder as a chocolate substitute which you can dilute with a little water & use to decorate. While still wet sprinkle on rosehip granules, chia seeds or flax seeds.
If you want to hang your treats from a ribbon then make the whole with a cocktail stick before baking.
Present them in pretty packaging, coloured ribbon or in a mason jar with a colourful label.
Be aware that these treats do not contain any preservatives, unlike the shop-bought variety, so will last a fraction of the time. They can either be frozen and a few taken out each day to defrost or keep cool in an airtight storage container and use within 3 weeks.
