#BasicDog Pumpkin Treats

What's more basic than pumpkin spice anything in the fall? Nothing. Now your dog can also embrace the basicness in a spicy pumpkin treat.

Last week I bought a package of soft dog cookies for about $5, and after a couple of days it was completely finished! Most cookies I buy for my dog are hard and crunchy, but I really like the idea of a softer treat. This recipe I came up with is super duper easy and perfect for the fall.

Brawny and my sister's 2 German Shepherds absolutely loved these cookies. You can eat them too! These are really great to bring along on a hike or long workout as they are filled with fiber and vitamins. They're also very mildly sweet, so don't expect a sugary pumpkin cookie taste!

Soft Pumpkin Dog Cookies (makes ~24)

Ingredients

2 cups oat flour
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2  tsp ground ginger (optional)

3/4 cup canned pumpkin
3 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
4 Tbsp honey




Directions
1. In a large bowl mix together the oat flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and ginger. In a separate bowl, mix together the pumpkin, coconut oil, and honey.
2. Pour the wet mixture into the dry and stir until well combined.
3. Scoop tablespoons of dough onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet and flatten with a fork.
4. Bake for ~15 minutes at 350 F°. (Bake 5-10 minutes longer if you want a firmer cookie).
5. Let cool and store in an airtight container. :)

Pumpkin batter

Cookies before baking

#BasicDog loves his #BasicCookies

Now go make these pumpkin treats! To fully get into character, dress warmly in your leggings and Ugg boots... and don't forget to Instagram the finished product. ;)

Lighter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Hello, world! I have transitioned from my old blog (which is now private) to this brand new one. :)

I decided to bake “healthier” chocolate chip cookies for my first official baking post. I made a number of changes to a traditional chocolate chip cookie recipe: I reduced the butter by more than half(!), reduced the sugar by 1/3, reduced the amount of chocolate chips, and subbed in some almond flour for the all-purpose flour. I also added some almond milk at the end because I thought the batter looked a bit dry.

Don't they look good?

Izzy’s Lighter Chocolate Chip Cookies 

Ingredients:

·         1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour (I used unbleached)

·         ½ cup almond flour

·         1 tsp baking soda

·         1 tsp salt

·         1 tsp instant coffee powder (optional)

·         6 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened

·         1 cup dark brown sugar

·         1 large egg

·         2 tsp vanilla

·         1 Tbsp water

·         ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk

·         ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1.       Preheat oven to 350°F and cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

2.       In a small bowl, sift (or whisk) together the dry ingredients: all-purpose flour, almond flour, baking soda, salt, and instant coffee powder.

3.       In another bowl, blend together the softened butter with the brown sugar. Add in the egg, vanilla extract, water, and almond milk and mix until smooth. Mix in the dry ingredients and stir in chocolate chips.

4.       Drop by tablespoons on prepared baking sheet and bake for 13-15 minutes.  Makes 24 cookies.

Dry ingredients + butter & brown sugar; ready to be popped into the oven!

I even calculated the nutrition facts with this really helpful website: www.nutritiondata.com

Each cookie has about 138 calories. As you can see, it’s not necessarily healthy, but definitely lighter in calories, fat, and sugar than a traditional chocolate chip cookie! (Next time I’d probably incorporate whole wheat flour as well).