There are plenty of dog biscuits on the market. Since our epileptic Archie follows a special diet because of his condition and only a few snacks are healthy for him, I keep finding myself getting creative in the kitchen.
Both Murphy and Archie prefer homemade dried turkey breast. Since the holidays leave a little more time for baking, I developed a grain-free recipe suitable for epileptics in consultation with our epilepsy specialist Dr. Benjamin Andreas Berk.
So the epilepsy pup stays happy and his fit brother Murphy gets to join in — and he loves them just as much ;)
Recipe for carrot apple dog biscuits
List of ingredients
- 340 g carrots, roughly 4 pieces depending on size
- half an apple
- 140 g coconut flour
- 45 g low-fat quark
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
Equipment needed
- Peeler
- Pot
- Mixing bowl
- Hand blender, immersion blender, or smoothie maker
- Wooden spoon
- Baking tray with baking paper and oven
How do I make the carrot apple dog biscuits?
Preparation
First, peel the carrots and cut them into small pieces. Once that's done, place them in a pot with water and add the tablespoon of sunflower oil. The fat-soluble vitamins in carrots are better absorbed when combined with fat (in our case, oil).
Let the carrots gently come to a boil in the oil-water, then turn the heat down low and let them soften until they're ready to be blended. For us, this takes about half an hour.
Once the carrots and their cooking water have cooled down, cut the half apple into small pieces. Now blend the carrots, the half apple, and the cooking water together. How you do this is up to you — I use the smoothie maker. :)
The vegetable-fruit purée goes into the mixing bowl, where you now add the egg, the quark, and the coconut flour. Using a wooden spoon or your hands, mix the dough until it reaches a consistency that's easy to shape. Simply test whether you can already form biscuits.
How long do the dog biscuits need to bake?
Once the dough is firm enough, shape flat rounds in your palms. Place them on a baking tray lined with baking paper and slide it into the oven. At 150° top and bottom heat, the dog biscuits should bake for roughly 45–55 minutes.
Keep checking on the biscuits — press your finger into the centre of one and test the firmness, as baking times vary from oven to oven. When they feel nicely crispy, they're done!
Once the biscuits have cooled down, the most important part begins. The testers have to taste and enjoy :)
