[camperbc]

As per the subject title, we haven't figured out how to bake Sheba's homemade cookies so that they're crunchy... unless we leave them in the oven for so long that they practically become charcoal. We've been experimenting with various recipes (found here and elsewhere) that include peanut butter, but they always end up kinda soft/chewy, which tends to build up on her teeth, rather than crunchy ones that end up keeping her teeth cleaner. Is it that the peanut butter is preventing them from crisping up? Sheba, ever the Diva, has requested that her peanut butter cookies must have a satisfying crunch, or she just may file a formal grievance!

So what are we doing wrong... any ideas?

Thanks,
Glen
www.FocusOnNewfoundland.com

 

[dogma13]

Keep them in the freezer

 

[camperbc]

Keep them in the freezer

Well yes, but they still get gooey/chewy when she's eating them. I want to know how to make 'em crunchy, for when they aren't in the freezer. Like a Milkbone.

Glen
www.FocusOnNewfoundland.com

 

[Aly]

I don't know that you're doing anything wrong, but without the preservatives usually found in commercial treats, this will be a challenge. I'd try making up a small(ish) batch and dividing it into fifths or something. Then experiment with lower baking temps, over longer time periods, with each fifth segment. See if that doesn't come closer to what Sheba wants and what you're trying to get.

 

[Momto2GSDs]

Dough rolled about 1/4" thick and then cut with a cookie cutter? or thicker?



Did you try cooking at a lower temperature (about 200*) for a longer period of time, then turning off the stove and leaving them in the oven over nite?


You could also try cooking at a slightly lower temp then the recipe calls for (so they won't burn), flipping them when they are done, then, turn down oven to about 125* and cook them a while longer to dry them out. Then leave in oven until it's cool.



Moms

 

[Springbrz]

Maybe try a food dehydrator after you have baked them to remove excess moisture with further cooking.

 

[Jax08]

Food dehydrator.

 

[Ululation]

Maybe trying a food dehydrator after baking can resolve your problem of excessive moisture.

 

[GSDchoice]

I googled how to make crispy cookies...I can't believe I'm researching cooking for a Dog! Even one as pretty as Sheba. :-D

Maybe messing around with the ratio of the ingredients would help?
Although I'm sure you omit Sugar/CornSyrup if you're making healthy dog treats.

Flour: All-purpose flour has a higher protein content than some other flours. When used in cookies, it creates a darker brown, crispy cookie, thanks to the Maillard reaction.

Fat: Butter has a low melting temperature. This allows a cookie to spread much more during baking than other solid fats, such as shortening. Butter also contains protein, which aids in browning and crisping. For flat and brown cookies, butter is the best choice.

Sugar: Using white sugar or corn syrup in a cookie produces a crisp end product. Corn syrup also browns more readily than some other sugars.

Egg: Recipes without egg will yield a flatter, crisper cookie with more spread. Eggs provide moisture for steam which leavens the cookie dough. The protein in egg provides body and structure to maintain that loft as well. Cookies without eggs will be flatter, thinner, and crisper than their egg containing counterparts.

 

[GSDchoice]

Another weird thought is, instead of using peanut butter, you could chop up some peanuts and mix them in (is it easier to keep it on crispy side that way?).

I was looking at the "crispy PB cookie" recipe and it does use multipurpose flour, and butter in addition to PB.

( I'm getting the urge to go make PB cookies! My husband loves, but my youngest is allergic...so I haven't made them for years. I abandoned making Pad Thai too, due to her peanut allergies. )

(PS- When I was a kid I ate a Milkbone once because my childhood dog made them look so delicious. I gave her half, and I ate the other half...it tasted like crunchy cardboard, blech. They look better than they taste, I think.)