Bark For Bacon-n-Bison Biscotti !! (Gluten Free, Organic,Wheat Free!)

As posted earlier, Cello is on a month-long wheat and chicken free diet to see if we can get her recurring ear infections under control.  I recently found out that buckwheat flour is NOT considered a grain and is wheat and gluten free! It was quite interesting to find out that buckwheat is actually closely related to rhubarb! Cello enjoyed the pumpkin biscotti I had made her, so I decided to try another variety biscotti…

 

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INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 pound ground bison (buffalo) (I used Whole Foods Market ground buffalo – their bison meet comes from buffalo who are free range, have no added antibiotics or growth hormones given to them, and have no animal byproducts in their feed)
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I used 365 Brand – found at Whole Foods Market – produced with no added hormones and made with milk from cows not treated with rBGH)
  • 1 cup organic milk (I used Organic Valley-from cows not treated with rBGH)
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 2 cups organic buckwheat flour 
  • 3 slices of bacon

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Cook ground buffalo completely, set side.
  3. Cook bacon until very well done, crush to bacon-bit size, set aside.
  4. Combine baking powder and buckwheat flour, and stir until thoroughly mixed.
  5. Add buffalo, cheese, and milk to the dry mixture, and knead with hands until all well combined.
  6. Split dough in half, place onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet, and form 2 meat-loaf shaped loaves, about 1 inch high.
  7. Press bacon pieces into the tops of the two loaves (be sure to firmly press them in or they will fall off while you are slicing the loaves).
  8. Bake for 20  minutes…remove loaves from oven and allow to cool for about 10-15 minutes
  9. Cut both loaves into slices.
  10. Place slices cut-side up onto parchment paper lined baking sheet, and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the slices are dry and crunchy. Flip slices over, and bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until the slices feel dry and crunchy (SEE NOTE BELOW).
  11. Remove from oven and let slices cool on wire rack.

**NOTE:  If your dog prefers softer treats, keep the second baking time around 10 minutes per side.  If your dog prefers crunchier biscuits, increase the second baking time to 20-25 minutes per side, depending on how hard you would like the biscotti.  You can also let the boscotti cool in the oven once you turn it off for an even harder treat.

YIELD: about 1-2 dozen, depending on how thick you cut your slices.

Store in refrigerator or freezer.

Dough formed into loaves with bacon pressed into top ready for first round of baking:DSC08646

Loves cut into slices and ready for second bake time

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Banana Biscotti

A week or so ago, I saw this yummy recipe on Dog Treat Kitchen. Tonight I decided to bake these treats for Cello.  Cello is currently on a grain-free diet, so I knew I had to alter the ingredients a bit.  I decided I would exclude the rolled oats in the original recipe, and substitute Buckwheat flour for the whole wheat flour also listed in the original recipe.

At the same time I was preparing to bake some treats, I also decided to boil my usual batch of hard-boiled eggs for my breakfast, and for Cello’s weekly dinner additive.  Perhaps doing two things at once was not such a good idea!

…Figuring I was being super-productive getting the eggs and biscotti done simultaneously, I was too focused on rushing, and was not attentive enough to the biscotti ingredient preparations!  After I had already started boiling the eggs, I reviewed the ingredients for the biscotti.  …OOPS!  …

The recipe called for 2 eggs – and now I was all out.  I Google searched what I could substitute for eggs, and was pleasantly surprised to find that 1/4 cup of applesauce could be substituted for each egg in most backing recipes.  As luck would have it, I had some organic, unsweetened applesauce in the fridge (PHEW!!)… turns out, my mistake blossomed  into a blessing…the biscotti turned out great!!  They were nice-and-sweet with the added apple sauce!

banana biscotti

Ingredients:

  • 2 medium organic bananas
  • 1/4 cup organic peanut butter (organic, so salt or sugar added)
    • Be sure that the peanut butter you use doesn’t contain xylitol)
  • 1/2 cup organic, unsweetened applesauce
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 1/4 cups organic Buckwheat flour (may need extra to add, depending on the consistency/level of stickiness you are comfortable with)

 

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350° F
  2. Place the peeled bananas and peanut butter into a large microwave safe bowl.
  3. Microwave the bananas and peanut butter for 30-60 seconds, to soften.
  4. Thoroughly mash the bananas while mixing in the peanut butter.
  5. Mix in the applesauce.
  6. Stir in the water.
  7. Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in the banana mixture.
  8. Using a fork, stir together the wet and dry ingredients until completely combined. If needed, use your hands to mix together the mixture.
  9. Lightly spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
  10. Turn out your dough ball onto the prepared baking sheet. Gently press the ball into a rectangular loaf shape about 1 inch thick. Try to make your shape as uniform as possible for even baking.
  11. Bake for 20 minutes.
  12. Let the banana biscotti loaf cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes.
  13. Cut the loaf in half, lengthwise.
  14. Cut strips about 1 inch thick.
  15. Place the slices, cut side down, and bake for another 20 minutes.
  16. Turn biscotti pieces over (flip), and bake another 20 minutes.
  17. Turn the oven off, and let the treats cool completely in the oven.

biscotti

Cello and Hooch approve…hope your pooch does too!  “Bone” Appetit !

PUPkin Biscotti

Made with healthy real pumpkin, these biscotti are yummy!

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INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 c. organic pure pumpkin (not pie filling)
  • 1/4 c. organic honey
  • 1/4 c. water
  • 1/8 c. organic canola oil
  • 1 organic egg, beaten
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 4 c. organic whole wheat flour (substitute buckwheat flour for grain-free option)
  • 2 tsp organic ground cinnamon

**egg whites (SEE NOTE BELOW)

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

2.  In  a large bowl, stir the pumpkin, honey, water, oil, egg, and vanilla

3.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and cinnamon

4.  Using a mixer, slowly combine the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients, a little at a time

5.  Knead the dough with your hand in the bowl until the dough forms a ball, and divide in to two equal parts

6.  On a cookie tray sprayed with non-stick cooking spray, form each ball of dough in to a slightly rounded rectangle, about one

      inch thick

7.  Place loaves about 2 inches apart, and back for 35 minutes

10.  Leave loaves on cookie tray, and place tray on a wire rack to let cool for 30 minutes. At the same time, LOWER the oven

        temperature to 300 degrees F

11.  Place the loaves on a cutting board, and slice into 1/2 inch slices

12.  Place the slices, cut side down, back onto the cookie sheet

13.  bake for 20 minutes.  Turn slices over, and bake for an additional 20 minutes, or until hard and crunchy

14.  Let the biscotti cool on a wire rack until cooled completely.

Yield: Depending on how thick you cut the slices, you should yield about a dozen biscotti from each loaf.

Note: (OPTIONAL): using a pastry brush, apply an egg white-wash to  loaves before baking the first time.  This step will not change the taste of the biscotti, but it will take away any trace of flour, and give the biscotti a slight “shine.”