Doggie (Birthday) Cupcakes

I am a dog lover. I didn't know it until I was almost 30. I didn't grow up with a dog. My mom isn't exactly the most animal accommodating person on the planet. She tolerated cats (one at a time of course), but that was really just because of extreme pressure from her children. The first (and only) dog I've ever had is our wonderful german wirehaired pointer mix Nikki. She was a shelter rescue. We went to the local humane society every week for 6 weeks before we found this scrawny scraggly pup. My husband and I fell in love with her immediately and she's been part of the family ever since. She was our first "child." She was our ring bearer in our wedding. And she is spoiled rotten! :)

This week is Nikki's 7th (people years) birthday. As in most homes with small children, birthdays are a big deal. To help celebrate our dog's birthday, my oldest daughter and I made up a batch of doggie cupcakes. I can't even remember where I originally found this recipe but it was somewhere online. I made these doggie cupcakes for Nikki's 1st birthday and she loved them. Of course, what dog wouldn't like something that looked like people food?? It's been a few years since the last batch, so making some for her 7th birthday (and sharing with the neighborhood pooches) sounded like a good idea. The great thing about this recipe is that it is made with ingredients you likely have at home. Plus, if a child gets a hold of one, they're safe to eat for humans as well. Here's the recipe:

2 shredded carrots
1 egg
2 mushed bananas (the riper the better)
2 T honey
3 c water
4 c flour (whole wheat preferably)
1 t baking powder
1 t nutmeg
1 t cinnamon

Blend water, carrots, bananas, egg and honey in a large bowl. Add all of the dry ingredients and mix well. Prepare muffin tins with grease or papers. (I'm usually a big advocate of cupcake papers, but I usually grease the tins for the dog cupcakes to prevent any accidental paper consumption.) Fill tins 3/4 full with the batter. Bake at 350 for 1 hour. Cool well before serving. This recipe makes about 2 dozen cupcakes. Don't need that many? You can half the recipe for just a dozen by cutting all ingredients in half but still using 1 full egg.

 

 

Have fun delivering to all you furry canine friends!! Happy birthday to our Nikki-dog!!