Barkcuterie: 25 Pawsome Snack Boards Your Dog Will Love, by Hammy & Olivia, features a fun collection of dog-friendly boards and treats for every occasion. A few fun themes include Picnic Board, Beach Day Board, Halloween Board, Tail-Gate Board, and Birthday Party Board. I will also be sharing their recipe for Doggie Scones following the review.
Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book from Rock Point in exchange for my honest review. All comments and opinions are my own. This post contains Amazon affiliate links. If you purchase something through the link, I may receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.
Hammy & Olivia
Inspiration for the book comes from the corgi duo, Hammy and Olivia!
Hammy is a six-year-old red and white corgi originally from North Carolina. An appointed sous chef, “he’s a big sweetheart that loves giving kisses (especially if he knows there’s a treat in your pocket). The only thing bigger than Hammy’s heart is his appetite.”
Olivia is an eight-year-old tricolor corgi born in Las Vegas. The resident diva, “she’s 27 pounds (12.2 kilograms) of pure sass and takes great pride in ruling the house from her bed. She is very picky when it comes to the pillows she lies on, the furniture she sleeps on, and the food she eats.”
Barkcuterie
Barkcuterie begins with a short introduction before sharing important ingredient notes and a few helpful tools and supplies to get started.
I especially appreciate the color-coded charts for safe foods for dogs, options that should be used sparingly, and ingredients to completely avoid. Along with these charts, always introduce a small amount of new foods at a time to see how your individual dog will react and check for potential allergens.
“Remember, the health and safety of your pets is top priority, as you know your pet best. Please read all nutritional information and safety warnings throughout this book before giving your pets anything to eat.”
Chapters are divided according to season: Spring Boards, Summer Boards, Autumn Boards, Winter Boards, Anytime Boards, and Milestone Boards. Each board is listed in the contents with page number for easy reference.
While the focus is on dogs, they have included the cats with a Caturday Board featuring catnip and more for feline siblings.
The food photography and styling is provided by Laura Klynstra with Hammy and Olivia photography by Rick Vierkandt. Every single recipe is paired with a full-page photo of the snack/board.
Measurements are listed in US Customary and Metric. The individual treats are also labelled dairy and/or gluten free when applicable. If special tools are required, they are written under the ingredients.
Doggie Scones
Our Olivia (I loved that our dog shares a name with one of the dogs in the book) enjoyed everything we made from Barkcuterie, but the Teatime Board was the biggest hit.
This dog-friendly tea party brings together homemade scones, raspberry jam, clotted cream, cucumber and cream cheese sandwiches, raspberries, peaches, and a few store-bought treats. To drink, you can pour a dog-safe tea or chicken broth (what I did).
It was all so fun!
To pair with the review, I am sharing a recipe for the Doggie Scones. They were definitely the highlight of the board.
These Doggie Scones are made in a similar manner to the more traditional scones, but involve a few adjustments in the ingredients.
Start by blending together self-rising flour and oat flour. Cut in the vegan butter to create a crumbly texture. Stir in the honey and milk just enough to bring together the dough.
Pat or roll the dough on a lightly floured surface until 1/2 inch (12 millimeters) thick. You can easily adjust the size of the scones for your dog based to the type of circular cutter. I went with one about 1 1/2 inches (4 centimeters) wide. The exact yield of scones may differ based on the size.
Brush the tops of the Doggie Scones with beaten egg and bake until golden. Once cooled to room temperature, store in an airtight container for up to one week.
Ingredient Notes
If you do not have self-rising flour, you can make your own at home. For 1 cup (125 grams) of low protein or all-purpose flour, stir in 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
The scones are created with a vegan butter. Check the ingredients on the package thoroughly to make sure the butter does not contain avocado.
I paired the Doggie Scones with raspberry jam (recipe in book) using simply raspberries, maple syrup, and cornstarch.
More Treats
We also made the Cheese Sticks, Cucumber and Cream Cheese Sandwiches, Pup Pancakes, and Gotcha Day Board.
The Cheese Sticks are a fun addition for the New Year’s Eve Board. A whole wheat-based dough is flavored with applesauce and shredded Cheddar cheese. It is topped with even more cheese, cut into strips, twisted, and baked until golden.
I served the Cucumber and Cream Cheese Sandwiches alongside the Doggie Scones on the Teatime Board. We learned that Olivia really loves raspberry jam and really dislikes cucumbers. She took one of the sandwiches, ate the bread and licked off every bit of the cream cheese, leaving behind the two cucumber pieces.
The Pup Pancakes were part of the Brunch Board. Olivia was so confused at first as to why we were showing her a stack of pancakes, but was a big fan once she knew they were ok to eat. The whole wheat batter comes together with egg, maple syrup, and buttermilk, then small rounds are cooked in a skillet until golden on each side.
We celebrated Olivia’s first anniversary of her adoption with the Gotcha Day Board! This special board pairs homemade Peanut Butter Coconut Bites with strawberries, kale, and favorite store-bought treats.
Barkcuterie is a great pick for those interested in making dog-friendly treats for a variety of holidays and seasons. The assembled boards often have a mixture of store-bought and homemade pieces. Most of the recipes are quick and easy, while a few require specific molds or tools.
The ingredients are generally available in larger American grocery stores. A few of the recommended store-bought treats (I went with what was available and our dog’s favorites) may require online ordering along with dog-safe sprinkles, oat flour, pasteurized egg white powder, chia seeds, vegan butter (not avocado), and carob chips. Resources for boards, treats, and supplies/tools are listed in the back of the book.
Doggie Scones Recipe
Excerpt from Barkcuterie
Doggie Scones
Ingredients
- 1 cup (125 grams) self-rising flour
- 1/2 cup (45 grams) oat flour plus more for dusting
- 1/4 cup (60 grams) vegan butter not avocado
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1/4 cup (60 milliliters) milk
- 1 egg beaten
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C; gas mark 4).
- In a medium bowl, stir together the flours.
- Cut the butter into small pieces and add it to the flour. Continue cutting the butter until a crumb forms.
- Add the honey and milk and mix just until the dough comes together.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to 1/2 inch (12 millimeters) thick.
- Cut out shapes with the biscuit cutter and transfer to a baking sheet. Brush the tops with the beaten egg.
- Bake until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
justine
OMG these look like a hit!
Anjali
This is such a cute idea!! I have a ton of family members with dogs, and I can’t wait to make this recipe for them the next time I visit!