Man’s best friend becomes your party’s best friend with these easy-to-make snacks, appetizers and desserts. Most involve some store-bought shortcuts, and all are easy enough for even the non-crafty among us to recreate. To nail these ideas, all you need to be is a dog lover.
Cake Pups
If your game-day guests are more interested in the Puppy Bowl than football, this adorable take on cake pops will give them something to cheer about!
Crumble one baked box-mix cake into a bowl and stir in a tub of store-bought frosting. Shape the mixture into 2-inch round balls and football shapes, and insert lollipop sticks into each. Dip the sphere shapes into melted white candy wafers and immediately add two black sugar pearls for eyes and a single caramel candy piece for a nose. Stand the pops into a piece of styrofoam until firm. Make the puppy ears by piping melted chocolate chips onto parchment paper in oblong shapes (use a zip-top bag with the corner snipped if you don’t have a piping bag on hand). When the pieces dry, attach them the puppy’s head with more melted candy. Draw cute smiles and whisker dots with a black food color marker. Thread red ring-shaped hard candies onto the lollipop sticks for collars, and attach with extra melted candy.
For the footballs, dip the pops into melted semisweet chocolate to coat. When the chocolate is dry, pipe on laces using some of the leftover melted white candy wafers.
Cheesy Pooch Platter
Bone-shaped cookie cutters make easy work of creating cute party fare. Try deli slices of Colby, sharp cheddar, and provolone — they’re quick to cut and easy to nibble. Use mini cookie cutters for bite-size pieces, like the mini bone and doghouse cutters pictured. Cheese is always delicious served with fresh apple slices and sea salt crackers, so they’re great with this spread.
Bark Bark
Get it? This aptly named bark is super-easy and super-fun thanks to loads of color. Melt one cup of semisweet chocolate chips and 1 cup of white chocolate chips. Pour each cup onto a sheet of parchment paper and swirl together using a knife or skewer. Immediately top with candy bones, candy caramel bits and multicolor sprinkles. Refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes. Break the candy into pieces and serve.
Peanut Butter Party Chow
Serve this delicious peanut-studded snack mix in (clean!) dog bowls for the most convincing kibble lookalie. Melt 1 cup of peanut butter and 1 cup of chocolate chips together on the stovetop or in the microwave. Add six cups of O-shaped cereal and stir until evenly coated. Spread onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and let cool until almost set. Sprinkle the mixture with 1 cup of powdered sugar and mix to form clumps of cereal. When the coated cereal is firm, add 2 cups of dry-roasted peanuts and dog bone-shaped graham crackers to the mix.
Pretzel Fetching Sticks
Throw these salty-sweet chocolate treats on the table for a barking good time. They’re easy to make using a 16 oz. package of melted chocolate candy coating and chocolate sprinkles. Place the melted candy in a shallow dish and roll pretzel rods through it to coat; transfer to parchment paper. Dip shorter, broken pieces of pretzel rods into chocolate and attach to the longer dipped pretzel rods for branches. Immediately sprinkle dipped pretzels with chocolate sprinkles. Let stand until set, about 15 minutes. Serve on a bed of “grass” — flake coconut tinted green with food coloring.
Savory Cheese Bone
It’s easy to transform deli-made cheese balls into a pup-inspired party appetizer that will feed a crowd. You’ll need one prepared cheese ball and one prepared cheese log in the same savory flavors. Place the cheese log in the center of a serving platter. Cut the cheese ball into four equal pieces and shape them into smaller balls. Attach two pieces onto each end of the log, to create a bone shape. For a fresh bite, chop fresh herbs and sprinkle over the cheese bone just before serving.
Doggie Bags
Score points with your guests by sending them home with take-away treat bags! Use paw print and bone motif rubber stamps to decorate plain brown paper sacks. Combine 5 1/2 cups of prepared snack mix with 2 1/2 cups candy-coated chocolate pieces in a large bowl. Divide the mix evenly into 1 cup servings between 8 treat bags.
Best-in-Show Fruit Tray
Hounds, poodles, and corgis, oh my! A parade of pooch shapes will make the cutest fruit tray you’ve ever seen. Slice pineapple, watermelon and cantaloupe into rounds and use dog-shaped cookie cutters to stamp shapes from the fruit. Arrange on a serving platter and garnish with chopped fresh mint.
Chewy Pizza Bones
To make these dog-bone lookalikes, roll out a can of ready-made refrigerated pizza dough to about 15-in x 10-in and then slice the dough into long stripes using a sharp chef’s knife. Tie each end of the dough strips into a knot and place on a baking sheet. Use a pastry brush to cover the bones with egg wash (1 tablespoon water mixed with 1 egg) and bake at 400 degrees F for 15-18 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve bones with prepared marinara sauce topped with cheese for dipping.
Frozen Paw Pops
Show your spirit with paw-shaped ice pops in team colors! A silicone paw pop mold can be purchased at specialty kitchen shops and online. Soften your favorite ice cream or sherbet and stir in drops of food coloring until a vivid hue is achieved. Fill the paw pop molds and freeze until solid. Unmold them and store in the freezer until you’re ready to root for your team!
Paw Print Skillet Snickerdoodle
Everyone will want a bite of this pawsitively delicious snickerdoodle skillet cookie. All it takes is just one package (about 1 pound) of refrigerated sugar cookie dough and 1/2 cup of cinnamon-sugar. Press the dough evenly into an 8-in cast iron skillet (or cake pan) and sprinkle with the sugar; bake at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes. When the cookie is cooled, place about 1/3 cup of melted chocolate in a zip-top bag and snip a corner. Pipe a paw shape in the center of the cookie.
Puppy Mug Cookies
Store-bought oblong chocolate-filled cookies (like Milanos) will give you plenty of room to pipe smiling pup faces with melted chocolate. Flatten chocolate chews between your fingers to create two floppy dog ears for each cookie and attach them to either side of the dog faces using melted chocolate. Pipe a chocolate collar with a confetti sprinkle tag in your team’s color for extra spirit! Present the cookies in cupcake papers for the neatest presentation and easy serving.
