One of  my dog’s favorite activities is spending time together in the kitchen. Mostly because she knows I’m a messy cook and will drop something yummy on the floor, but she really seems to enjoy our time cooking and cleaning the kitchen. I have to pull her out of the dishwasher every time I open it and she inspects the crisper for crumbs every time I open the fridge. Yet we still enjoy hanging out together and trying out new recipes.

I really like to find recipes that we can both eat. I’m not too fond of raw meat, and she’s not crazy about broccoli, so I try to find something in-between we can both enjoy. Puppy pancakes/muffins are one of our favorites. I try to avoid processed ingredients whenever possible and go light on the sugar and sweets. A modified pupcake recipe leaves everyone happy.

Apple Cinnamon Pupcakes

Ingredients: 

2  and 3/4 (three quarters) cup water

1/4 (one quarter) cup unsweetened organic or homemade applesauce

2  Tablespoons organic honey

1/8 (one eighth) teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 egg

4 cups whole wheat flour

2-3 apples, peeled and cubed into small chunks

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

 

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease muffin tins or use cupcake liners.

Mix wet ingredients throughly. Blend in dry ingredients. Stir in apple chunks.

Bake for 20-30 minutes until golden and springy to the touch.

Lavender Honey PupCakes

Ingredients: 

1/2 (one half) cup unsweetened organic or homemade applesauce

2 eggs (room temperature, left out for thirty minutes)

1 and 3/4 (three quarters) cups whole wheat flour

1 and 1/2 (one half) teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons dried lavender

1/2 (one half) teaspoon salt

1/2 (one half) cup honey

1/2 (one half) cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2/3 (two thirds) cup almond milk

 

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease muffin tins or use paper baking liners. Beat eggs, add in milk, sugar, vanilla, honey, and applesauce. Blend well with mixer for two minutes. Sift dry ingredients together and min into moist mixture at intervals. Stir well, pour into muffin tine. Bake for 10 -12 minutes until golden.

Honey Frosting (for the people, not the dogs)

2/3 (two thirds) cup cream cheese, softened

3 Tablespoons butter (softened)

1/4 (one quarter) cup honey

1/2 (one half) teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups powdered sugar

 

Gradually add sugar into other ingredients, mixing well. Pipe onto tops of fully cooled cupcakes (not the pupcakes).