To Catch a Treat (23 page)

Dog Apple Cinnamon Buns

Thanks to Lisa Kelley!

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1
⁄
8
teaspoon salt
1
⁄
2
cup skim milk (water works fine)
1
⁄
4
cup canola oil
1 large egg
2
1
⁄
2
Tablespoons honey
1
1
⁄
2
teaspoons cinnamon
1
⁄
3
cup chopped dried apple (or crushed into small pieces,
but not into powder)

Frosting (optional):

1
⁄
4
cup light cream cheese

1–2 Tablespoons skim milk (water works fine)

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. In a small bowl, stir together skim milk, oil, and egg. Add to the dry ingredients and stir, just until you have a soft dough.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a rectangle that measures roughly 8x14 inches. Drizzle dough with honey, sprinkle with cinnamon and dried apple pieces.

Starting with the long edge, roll up jelly-roll style and pinch the edge to seal. Using a sharp serrated knife, slice half an inch thick and place slices cut-side down on a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with nonstick spray.

Bake for about 15 minutes, until springy to the touch. Wait until they have cooled completely before you drizzle them with cream cheese.

Makes about 2 dozen mini buns. Store extra in a tightly covered container or freeze. If they are frosted, store the container in the fridge.

icing on the cake people treat recipe

LA Lime Pie

Thanks to Fred Johnston!

1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
4 egg yolks
1
⁄
2
cup, or a little more, lime juice, preferably fresh
1 9-inch graham cracker pie crust

Combine the condensed milk, egg yolks, and lime juice, and blend until smooth. Pour that filling into the pie crust and bake at 350°F for 8–10 minutes. Let it stand for 10 minutes before refrigerating.

You can put whipped cream on it, if you'd like, before serving.

Also, you can garnish it with lime slices.

acknowledgments

Once again, many thanks to my amazing agent Paige Wheeler. Thanks also to my fantastic Midnight Ink editor Terri Bischoff, production editor Sandy Sullivan, and publicist Katie Mickschl.

I once more thank the wonderful people who helped me improve
To Catch a Treat
by reading and commenting on the manuscript. You know who you are!

This time, I get to thank a couple of wonderful online friends and street team members who provided the dog treat recipes at the back of the book: Lisa Kelley and Susan Frank. I additionally thank my own dogs, Lexie and Mystie, who got to try the treats—and loved them. And I also thank my husband Fred, not only for providing the recipe for LA Lime Pie as the people treat, but also for baking those pies, mostly for visits to friends and special occasions … and for growing the limes for them!

about the author

Linda O. Johnston (Los Angeles, CA) has published forty-one romance and mystery novels, including the Pet Rescue Mystery series and the Pet-Sitter Mystery series for Berkley Prime Crime. With Midnight Ink, she's published
Lost Under a Ladder
and
Knock on Wood
in the Superstition Mystery series, along with the first Barkery & Biscuits Mystery,
Bite the Biscuit
.