I have always started my posts with an up-close shot of the highlighted dish, but the star of this show is my puppy, Tazewell, so he gets some face time too. He was a very willing assistant for today’s photo shoot. I can’t get enough of his face.
And he is pretty fond of Banana + Peanut Biscotti. It is so easy to make treats for dogs; I admit I resisted for a while for fear of becoming {more of} a crazy dog person, but my buddy deserves a homemade treat now and then.
Or, all the time. I mean, look at those ears.
I first made this recipe when Tazz and I headed over to a friend’s for an evening of catching up – I brought a bottle of wine for the hostess and Tazz brought a dog bone-shaped tin of Banana + Peanut Biscotti for his canine buddy. These treats make a cute gift if you are visiting a home with a dog, and have a bigger “wow” factor than the work that goes in to it, in my opinion. The hostess reported that she and her pup both enjoyed the biscotti until they were gone. Honestly, they aren’t the most flavorful for humans, but in a pinch – why not? All the ingredients are safe for humans.
Biscotti is baked in two stages; biscotti for dogs is no exception. You form the dough into a rectangle-shaped loaf for the first baking (here, 2 loaves about 6″ wide and 1″ high – and as long as they need to be). When it is almost baked through, you remove it from the oven and let it cool a bit. Then, slice it into pieces of the thickness of your choice (these are about 3/4″), turn them on their side to expose the “inside” to the direct heat and pan, and bake again until golden brown.
If your pup is a little lady or guy, you may want to cut the loaf in half long-ways when you are doing the slicing (pictured above on the right). You could also make smaller loaves, about 2″ to 3″ wide and 1″ high; however, this will greatly affect the baking time, so keep an eye on them if you choose to change the loaf size!
Insides out! Ready for the second baking.
- 5 c flour
- ¼ cup salt-free peanuts, chopped
- ½ t baking soda
- 1 egg
- ¼ c vegetable oil
- 2 very ripe bananas
- 2 t vanilla
- water
For topping:- 1 egg beaten with 1 T water
- additional chopped peanuts
- Preheat oven to 325F.
- Place dry ingredients in a large bowl.
- In a small food processor, blend the egg, oil, bananas, and vanilla together. {If you don't have a small food processor, just smush the bananas well and stir the wet ingredients to combine thoroughly.}
- Stir the wet ingredients into the flour mixture with a wooden spoon until it gets too hard to mix.
- Add water, one teaspoon at a time as needed, and knead by hand in the bowl until it forms a uniform, smooth dough. You will probably only need 2-3 teaspoons.
- Form the dough into two rectangular loaves, and flatten and shape them until they are about 6" wide by 1" high.
- Place the loaves on one or two baking sheets, using parchment paper or a silpat.
- Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with peanuts; press the peanuts in firmly.
- Bake 30 - 40 minutes, or until the outside is lightly browned.
- Remove and cool for about 10 minutes (you will need the oven again soon).
- Slice into ½" - ¾" slices. I use a bench scraper, but if you remove the loaves from the pan, you can use a serrated knife.
- Place the slices back on the baking sheets, this time with the "inside" facing up (and down).
- Bake for another 20 minutes or so, until the biscotti is browned (again).
- Cool before sharing with your four-legged buddy!
30-40 min + 20 min baking
{Tazz turns seven later this month, but he will always be a puppy to me.}
Adapted from: http://www.bullwrinkle.com/Assets/Recipes/Banana%20Biscotti.htm
Tell me what you think!