How To: Make Valentine's Day Dog Treats for Animal Shelters

Move over, Top Chef! You can make some new best friends by baking these dog-friendly treats and dropping them off at a local shelter.

1. Gather your ingredients
   • 2 cups cooked and cooled carrots
   • 1 ripe banana, peeled, or another cup of cooked, cooled vegetables like peas or green beans
   • 1 cup soy milk
   • 1-1/2 cups peanut butter
   • 2 tablespoons molasses
   • 2 cups whole wheat flour
   • 2 teaspoons baking powder
   • 2 cups white flour, plus more for dusting
2. Preheat the oven to 325° F (160° C).
3. Blend the banana and veggies in a food processor. Add the soy milk, peanut butter, and molasses and blend again.
4. Sift together the whole wheat flour and baking powder, then add to the wet mixture and blend well.
5. Pour the batter into a large mixing bowl. Add 1 cup of white flour and stir thoroughly. Knead in the second cup of white four, adding more flour if necessary to make a stiff dough. Divide the dough into four parts.
6. Roll out a piece of dough on a floured board to about 1/8 inch thick. Use a cookie cutter or knife to make heart shapes (or any other Valentine's Day symbol). Place the biscuits onto an ungreased cookie sheet—it's okay to put them close together; they won't spread out.
7. Bake the biscuits for 10 minutes or until they are just starting to brown. Remove from the oven and turn over the biscuits with a spatula. Return to the oven and bake for another 10 minutes. Turn the biscuits again and bake for another 10 minutes. They should be as crisp as crackers.
8. Remove the biscuits from the oven and let them cool completely.
9. Repeat with the other three parts of the dough, or freeze the remaining dough to bake later.
10. Store the cooled biscuits in a covered container in the refrigerator until you can deliver them.

Resources provided and consulted by The Humane Society of the United States.