Treats & Recipes
Holiday goodies you can make at home
By BB King ,The Gobbling Gourmutt

These homemade holiday goodies will have your animal pals licking their lips. Clockwise from top left, Carob Cranberry Chews, Carob Truffles and Feline Flatbread.

Carob is the fruit of the carob tree, also known as the locust tree and St. John's tree. Carob is rich in natural sugars and contains all the principal minerals and vitamins. In ancient Egypt, carob pods were combined with porridge, honey, and wax, as a remedy for diarrhea. They also used carob in recipes for expelling worms, and treating poor eyesight and eye infections. In the 1st century A.D., the Greek physician, Dioscorides, wrote that carob acted to relieve stomach pain and settle digestion.

Holiday Carob Cranberry Chews
(instead of shoes!)

Ingredients
1/2 cup unsweetened granola
2 tablespoons ground carob
1/4 cup chopped dried cranberries or
1/2 cup chopped fresh cranberries
3-1/2 cups oat flour
1 cup filtered water
milk
extra granola or oatmeal, for rolling

Instructions
Preheat oven to 325 F.
Combine all ingredients, except the extra granola and milk. Make small balls, the size of a truffle, dip in milk, and then roll in granola or oatmeal.

Place on ungreased cookie sheet, and bake for 20 minutes. Turn off oven, and allow chews to cool completely, before storing them in an airtight container.

These tempting treats freeze beautifully, and there are lots of wags and woofs out there who actually prefer them freshly frozen.

Carob Truffles for Canine Tummies

Ingredients
1 package (12 ounces) Carob Chips (found in most health food stores)
1 cup peanut butter, with no salt or sugar
1 cup wheat germ or oatmeal
If you are unable to get Carob Chips, you can substitute 12 ounces of carob powder.

Instructions
In a double boiler, melt the carob chips, stirring continuously.

Remove from heat and add the peanut butter and wheat germ. Stir until the mixture thickens enough to form balls in the palm of your hand. (It may be necessary to cool the mixture in the refrigerator first.) Form balls and roll or sprinkle with wheat germ or oatmeal.

Transfer to airtight container and refrigerate. Truffles are also wonderful as a frozen treat.
As an alternative, you can spread the mixture out on a lightly greased cookie sheet, cool completely in the refrigerator, and then score and break into small nibble sized, delectably delicious treats.

For the holiday season, try adding 1/2 cup of chopped cranberries to the mix, or, after forming each truffle in your hand, make a thumb print in the top, or use a dog paw stamp, and add a piece of cranberry, for a bit of holiday color and cheer.

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Published in the Winter 2002 issue of Animal Wellness Magazine