Of everyone in my household, the one who spends the most time with me in the kitchen is my dog. Not that he’s much help. Mostly he stares at me and waits for food to drop.

Generally, though, he is good company, except perhaps for the time he got his big head up on the counter and ate the greater part of a just-baked pie (it wasn’t a very good pie). He licks bowls clean, sucks crumbs off the floor and never questions my judgment. ("What do you think, Jax, balsamic vinegar or lemon juice?" "Mrph." "Yeah, balsamic. My thoughts exactly.") So I decided to bake him something.

I used to think that people who cooked for their pets had way too much time on their hands. After doing my research, though, I can see the value, as long as you keep it simple. Homemade treats cost just pennies, can be made without preservatives or fat and allow you to adjust for food sensitivities or special doggie preferences.

Of course, my dog eats dirt. Discerning, he is not. But still.

My aim was an ūber-easy recipe that uses pantry staples (unlike one I found that called for yeast, spelt flour and liver powder; good grief) and could be adapted to include a variety of fruit or vegetable add-ins.

The result is these treats made with a basic flour foundation (any type; spelt if you must). The wet ingredients can be anything your dog likes or that you’re trying to get rid of — I used peanut butter and pumpkin, but mashed fruit, sweet potato or carrots would also do. Stir in water to achieve a cookie dough texture.

Jax finds them quite gourmet, but as he does eat dirt, I tested them on a wider audience. All six of his buddies at the park consumed them with gusto, except the pickiest one, who licked his and dropped it, whereupon it was gobbled up by the second-pickiest dog. I take that as a win.

MIX-AND-MATCH DOG TREATS

Dry ingredients: 2-1/2 cups flour (wheat, white or a mixture); 1/2 cup quick-cooking or rolled oats can also be added, just keep the total to 2-1/2 cups

Wet ingredients: Peanut butter, canned pumpkin purée, applesauce, mashed bananas or sweet potato, etc., or a combination of items, for a total of 3/4 cup

1 egg, beaten

Water or chicken or beef broth, as needed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place dry ingredients in mixing bowl.

Combine wet ingredients with egg, stirring until smooth. Add to dry ingredients. Slowly add water until dough is smooth and easy to handle (using something sticky like peanut butter will take more water than, say, applesauce).

Roll out on floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness and cut into pieces with cookie cutters or into squares with a knife. (Note that if you use oats, dough will not cut cleanly with cookie cutters.) Place on cookie sheet. Bake 20 minutes for chewy treats or 30 minutes for crunchy. For extra-crunchy treats, turn off heat and leave treats in oven as it cools.

Nutritional information unavailable.

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