Dogs Baked Apple Oat Breakfast Scones

Instructions

1. Prepare the oven and ingredients: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C), or 325°F (165°C) for a fan oven, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Measure the apple puree, rolled oats and oat flour into separate small bowls, then crack the egg into a cup and beat lightly with a fork. Check that your apple puree contains no xylitol (also called birch sugar) or other added sweeteners; if making your own, peel and core the apples, remove every seed and stem, cook the flesh until soft, then blend and cool completely, using only the prepared apple flesh and making sure the puree is thick enough to sit on a spoon rather than pour like juice.

   

2. Mix the apple and egg: Add the 1/2 cup of apple puree and the beaten egg to a mixing bowl, then stir with a fork or silicone spatula for 30 to 45 seconds until smooth, with no visible streaks of uncooked egg. Stir in the rolled oats, making sure every oat gets coated. Let the mixture sit for 3 minutes so the oats can soak up some moisture, which helps keep the dough from being too loose and gives the baked scones a softer crumb that holds together nicely.

   

3. Make a soft, shapeable dough: Add the 1/2 cup of oat flour and gently fold it in with a spatula until no dry flour remains; the dough should be moist, thick and a little tacky, but firm enough to hold a mound on the spatula. Give it another 3 minutes to rest before making adjustments: if it spreads like batter, add oat flour 1 teaspoon at a time, up to 2 tablespoons, or if it's too crumbly to hold together, add plain water 1 teaspoon at a time, up to 2 teaspoons. Don't knead it heavily or add so much flour that it becomes stiff, since a little stickiness is exactly what helps these scones stay tender.

   

4. Shape and bake the scones: Move the dough onto your parchment-lined baking sheet and, with slightly damp hands, shape it into a round about 5 inches (13 cm) wide and 3/4 inch (2 cm) thick; cut it into 8 equal wedges with a small knife or dough scraper, then gently separate them by about 1/2 inch (1 cm) so air can circulate, keeping the tops slightly rounded rather than pressing them flat. Bake on the center rack for 18 to 22 minutes, checking from 18 minutes onward for set edges, lightly golden bottoms and centers that no longer look shiny or raw. The apple puree keeps these softer than ordinary biscuits, but if a center still looks visibly wet, give the scones another 2 to 3 minutes in the

   

5. Cool completely and portion: Take the baking sheet out of the oven and leave the scones undisturbed for 5 minutes, then carefully move them to a wire rack to cool for at least another 15 minutes, or until they're completely cool in the center. The crumb firms up as the moisture settles, so don't cut them while they're hot; instead, break open a cooled scone to check that it's tender, holds together without any wet or uncooked dough inside, and separates with gentle pressure rather than snapping like a crunchy biscuit. Break a scone into smaller pieces suited to your dog's size before serving, and make sure the remaining scones have cooled fully before storing them.