Snickerdoodles are a very popular cookie, one of those old-timey ones. I’ve even seen snickerdoodle scented candles. But to be honest, I wasn’t quite sure what the hell they were made of until I looked it up, and discovered:

A snickerdoodle is a variety of sugar cookie made with cream of tartar, and rolled in cinnamon sugar. It has a characteristically cracked surface, and can be crisp or soft depending on preference. In modern recipes, the leavening agent is usually baking powder.

So here we have the doggie version- snickerpoodles. I made these in celebration of our puppy Indy’s DNA test results: thanks to The Canine Heritage Breed Test, we found out that he’s a mix of Labrador Retriever, Staffordshire Bull Terrier and English Coonhound. And what better way to celebrate finding out who you are than with cookies?! Really, what better way to celebrate just being a dog than with cookies?

I made these kinda huge, ’cause, well… Indy’s kind of a big dude. I mean look at him- he’s 8 months old and almost 60 pounds and eats like a monster. They’re like the size of my palm. But depending on the size/appetite of your dog you can make them smaller… or even bigger if you’ve got a Great Dane or St. Bernard or a horse. And  by the way, that picture is from the cover of his new rap album, Yo! Indy Raps, in stores now. Gangsta!

Basically, why pay $3.50 per dog cupcake or cookie at Pet Supplies Plus when you can make your own and actually know what you’re putting into it?

SNICKERPOODLES

Ingredients:

• ½ cup vegetable oil
• ½ cup shortening
• 1 cup honey
• 2 eggs
• 3 ¾ cups white flour
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ cup cornmeal
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon

Directions:

1. Mix vegetable oil, shortening , honey with eggs. Beat well.
2. Add flour, soda and cream of tartar. Knead dough until mixed well. Shape dough by rounded teaspoons into balls.
3. Mix the cornmeal and cinnamon together in a bowl and roll balls in mixture.
4. Place 2 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet . Press the balls down with a fork.
5. Bake for 8-10 minutes at 400F. Cool on a rack. Store in airtight container, if they last that long!

And let me repeat, for anyone out there who’d like to comment and tell me how terrible I am for feeding cookies to a dog (like the troll from the last dog treat post) … THESE ARE DOG-SAFE. NO SUGAR. ALL-NATURAL. NO ARTIFICIAL INGREDIENTS. NOTHING IN HERE IS BAD FOR DOGS. A healthy dog should have no problem eating these or digesting them. Now for my little Public Service Announcement: Its fun to make your own dog treats and food, but please remember you should never give your dog sugar, and don’t feed a senior dog/dog with special dietary needs treats like this without consulting your vet first.

The end!