Peanut Butter & Applesauce Dog Cookies

I made hypoallergenic dog cookies for the ones that can't eat the commercial cookies I give as Christmas gifts. I used tiny cookie cutters (1 to 1.5 inches long) that look like Christmas Trees, Angels, Candy Canes, etc. They are soooo cute!.

Peanut Butter & Applesauce Dog Cookies
(These cookies can be considered "Hypoallergenic" and given to most dogs with food allergies.)

   •    3 Cups Rice Flour
   •    5 teaspoons Baking Powder
   •    1 1/2 Cup Smooth Natural Peanut Butter (for rolled mini-balls you can use Chunky)
   •    a little less than 1 1/2 Cup Natural Unsweetened Applesauce

   1.    Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Use parchment paper on cookie sheets.

   2.   Stir together the flour and baking powder; set aside. Pour the separated peanut oil off the top of the peanut butter into a large measuring cup and add enough applesauce to make 1 1/2 C. Microwave for 1 minute on high and then mix well.

   3.    In a large bowl, mix the peanut butter with the oil and applesauce mixture. Stir in the flour mixture until very well blended and color is uniform throughout. Let dough sit while you cut the parchment for the cookie sheets.

     4.   Stir mixture well and turn out 1/2 dough onto a lightly floured surface (or onto parchment paper) and knead until smooth. Roll out to 1/4 inch thickness and cut into shapes using cookie cutters. Add the rest of the dough to the scraps and re-roll. Place 1/2 inch apart onto the parchment paper.

OR - Pinch off small dough pieces and roll into 3/4 inch balls and mash flat with fork tines to make cross-thatch design.

OR - For tiny dogs you can roll bits of the dough into M&M sized mini-balls.

OR - For really fast cookies, roll 1/3 dough out directly onto greased cookie sheet, shaping dough to the size of the cookie sheet. Using large knife cut diagonally to make diamond shaped cookies

   5.    Bake for 12 to 20 minutes, depending on the size of the cookies. Remove when edges are lightly browned. Cool on wire racks