From the Murray Mail archive: first published in the club's newsletter, issue 41 (December 2020), and dated here to when it first appeared.
Banana and peanut butter cupcakes for dogs, with a fluffy potato "frosting".
Ingredients
- 2 ripe bananas - 2/3 cup mashed
- 1/2 cup peanut butter , smooth or creamy
- 1/3 cup honey
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups flour , all purpose/plain OR wholewheat/wholemeal (Note 2)
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 cup oil , vegetable, canola, peanut or olive oil
- 3/4 cup water
- FLUFFY DOG FRIENDLY "FROSTING
- 500g / 1lb potatoes , peeled and cut into 2 cm/1" pieces
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1/2 cup yogurt, plain low fat (any unsweetened type) OR sour cream
- 2 - 4 tbsp water
- 12 small dog bone biscuits , for decorating (optional)
Method
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan). Line a 12 hole muffin tin with cupcake liners.
- Place bananas in a bowl and mash with a potato masher until smooth as you can get it.
- Add peanut butter, honey and eggs. Whisk well until smooth.
- Add flour, baking powder, oil and water. Whisk until smooth.
- Divide between cupcakes until 3/4 full. Bake 22 minutes until the top is golden, or skewer comes out clean.
- Transfer to cooling rack and cool for 30 minutes before topping with "frosting"
- FROSTING
- Place potato in a large pot of water. Bring to boil, then cook potato for 20 minutes until very, very soft and starting to crumble on the edges.
- Drain, then return into empty pot. Add yogurt, honey and water (starting with 2 tbsp). Beat with electric beater for 1 minute on speed 3, increasing to speed 5, for 1 minute or until smooth and creamy. Add more water if needed - it should have a soft consistency like frosting.
- Transfer to piping bag fitted with a 1.5cm / 3/5" round nozzle (Note 3 for other nozzles). Pipe in swirling motion onto cupcakes, top with dog biscuit.
Recipe Notes:
1. Peanut butter - make sure the peanut butter doesn't contain Xylitol which is an artificial sweetener that is not good for dogs. Kraft peanut butter does not contain Xylitol which is what I use.
If you are unsure, go for all natural peanut butter (health aisle of supermarket) which is just pure peanuts. (Then use the leftovers to make Thai peanut sauce for yourself!)
2. Flour - I'd ordinarily use wholemeal/wholewheat flour because it's got more nutrition than white flour, but I'm out of stock and trying to minimise grocery outings!
3. Piping - you can use a standard star shaped nozzle and the piped frosting will look like this (Meatloaf Cupcakes with Mashed Potato). But don't try to use a Wilton #1M or #1B nozzle used to make pretty swirls like in this photo on chocolate cupcakes. The consistency of the potato frosting isn't suitable - it just won't hold its shape (I tried and ended up with a total mess).
4. Storage - these have kept well for a week, hasn't lasted longer than that. Keep in an airtight container in the fridge (to ensure potato doesn't go off). The biscuit will soften -
From the Murray Mail, issue 41 (December 2020), reprinted in issue 55 (September 2024). From Shane's Home Made Doggie Treats. Members can read the original issue.
