wishful thinking

It's not such a little known fact that I am yearning after a sausage dog. I have been for the last three years now but am yet to actually pet one, let alone hold one in my arms. When I was little we had neighbours who had two long-haired dachshunds. Their names were Tumble and Truffle (great, I know), and though they pinned my brother down under a table and mentally scared him forever after, I loved them and always ran around trying to pick them up. 

          

^^^this isn't Tumble and Truffle, but they looked pretty similar- if not more handsome. 

Fast forward a number of years and here I am now- living in London, in a tiny flat and feeling more broody for a dachshund than I thought possible. Every time I walk past one I squeal and give puppy dog eyes to the American, who flat-out refuses to get one for me. Boooo. 

   

I just. I can't. It's.too.much. 

To make up for the lack of my sausage dog (she'll be called Noodle by the way, and will live under my desk with her navy studded collar and the American will secretly love her) we made biscuits shaped like a sausage dog instead. Almost as great. Maybe. 

The recipe is as follows: 

Pre-heat your oven to 180*

1 cup butter (softened at room temperature)

3 cups sifted flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 and 1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

Mix dry ingredients together

Add butter, eggs and vanilla and mix with a fork until thoroughly blended.(Do not use a mixer, it will give you different results.)

Shape dough into four balls with your hands.

Chill for an hour or overnight.

Roll out on floured board and cut into shapes. 

Try to use as little flour as possible -- just enough so the dough doesn't stick to the board or rolling pin. 

Remember to cook on grease proof paper!   

I found my Noodle dogs cooked perfectly in 11 minutes, but this does depend on how thin you rolled the dough. Keep an eye on them- you don't want to end up with hot-dogs!

   

   

We decorated ours with icing, silver balls for eyes and a little bit of stem ginger. You can of course flavour them however you'd like. How about lemon? Add a little cocoa powder to the dough for chocolatey dogs or decorate with coloured icing. 

   

   

Yeah, so they're not a thing of beauty, but they're great with a cup of tea! We were clearly over zealous with our icing technique... I blame him entirely. 

   

   

A great recipe to make with children, or even to curb your yearnings for a little dog named Noodle.



L.