It's Cookie Time!

Welcome to Cottage Dogs, a site for dogs and their people, celebrating homemade treats and local art.

Perhaps first I should introduce the dogs behind these cookies: Genny and McBee. Genevieve, known as Genny (born 2005) is lab/terrier rescue with brown and white fur and chocolate eyes, and McBee (born 2008) is a lab/Catahoulla Leopard Dog rescue with black and leopard fur and chocolate eyes. They live with us in a century-old downtown cottage and occasionally assist with minor renovations.

During Take 5 of our hysterical 2009 holiday card photo shoot, Genny decided she needed a few hugs.

Cottage Dog Cookies came about after Genny and McBee snacked on a successful batch of peanut butter dog cookies. There we were, all three of us sitting on the floor, eating warm cookies (yes, they're fine for humans, too), when I realized that we should share our cookies with other dog friends.

Baking cookies has long been a much treasured holiday tradition in our family. For weeks before a holiday, we'll mark recipes and gather ingredients, eagerly debating what cookies will make the cut for the year. This Scotty dog cookie cutter (below) was one of my favorites as a child and represents both fond memories and part of our heritage. I must admit that we've made quite a few batches of sugar cookies and shortbread with the aid of this little fellow.

Vintage Scotty dog cookie cutter and peanut butter cookie.

Creating dog cookies and sharing the joy with our beloved pets brings the fun and spirit of holiday baking into our daily routines. Genny and McBee anticipate cookie time just as much as we've always anticipated our special baking days.

Our simple ingredients include basics such as rye, wheat, and white flour, peanut butter, and water. We roll out the dough and cut the cookies individually with vintage cutters; then we bake them in small batches. You may store them in an air-tight treats container on the counter, in the refrigerator, or in the freezer. If you plan to dole out the treats slowly over several days, refrigerate them. We don't add any preservatives.

So, we hope to share our Cottage Dog Cookies with you. And yes, people, you're welcome to grab a glass of milk and have one, too. Just remember, these are supposed to be for the dogs, so please share.