Teething Tips

Many parents swear by teething biscuits. I’ve found that the slight mess they create is a small price to pay for the few minutes of distraction and relief that teething biscuits offer a baby.

There are several brands of commercial biscuits, including Earth’s Best, which offers barley and wheat versions, and Healthy Times, which makes biscuits in vanilla and maple flavors. Whichever you choose, be careful not to leave Baby chewing on a biscuit unsupervised. Pieces can break off, causing a choking hazard.

Many recipes are available for baking your own homemade biscuits. Some contain sugar, some do not, and a few are even wheat-free. Here are a couple of my favorites. Please send in your favorites to info@teethingtips.com

NUTRITIOUS TEETHING BISCUITS (from Vicki Lansky’s Feed Me I’m Yours)

Ingredients:
1 beaten egg yolk
3 Tbsp maple syrup or molasses (May be omitted)
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 Tbsp oil
1/4 cup milk
1 Tbsp uncooked oatmeal
1 cup flour (white, wheat or combo)
1 Tbsp soy flour
1 Tbsp wheat germ
1 Tbsp nonfat dry milk.

Directions:
Blend wet ingredients, add dry ingredients. Dough will be stiff. Roll dough thin
and cut into strips or desired shapes.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 15 minutes on ungreased cookie sheet.
They can be made without the last 3 ingredients, but they add to the
nutritional value.

TEETHING BISCUITS (classic from the Buffalo News)
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup instant nonfat dry milk powder
1/2 cup wheat germ
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
¾ cup sugar
¾ cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/2 cup undiluted, frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
Combine flour, milk powder, wheat germ, baking powder, cinnamon and salt together.
In another bowl, combine sugar and oil. Beat in the egg and orange juice and gradually add flour mixture to make a stiff dough. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.
Place greased cookie sheet on damp towel to keep from sliding. Place dough on cookie sheet and flatten, rolling out to within 1 inch of the edge.
Cut into 2 by 3/4-inch bars; separating the cookies isn’t necessary. Bake 15 minutes in preheated 375-degree oven until light brown.
Remove from oven; recut on the same lines. Return to oven. Turn off heat and let set until oven is cool. Makes about 6 dozen cookies that can be frozen and thawed as needed.

EGGLESS TEETHING BISCUITS
1 cup juice (such as apple)
1 cup flour
1 cup baby cereal(such as rice or oat)

Mix ingredients, roll, cut into shapes or sticks, and bake for approximately 2 minutes at 350 degrees.

LESS-CRUMBS TEETHING BISCUITS
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 to 2 1/2 cups flour

Can be made with either white or brown sugar; white or whole-wheat flour. Stir eggs with fork until creamy; mix in sugar. Gradually add flour until stiff. Roll between floured wax paper sheets or with floured rolling pin until about 3/4 inches thick. Cut into rounds, shapes or sticks. Grease cookie sheet. Let cookies stand on cookie sheet overnight. Then bake at 325 degrees until hard.

TEETHING BISCUITS

1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup oil, butter or margarine
1/2 cup baby cereal (such as rice or oat)
1/2 cup water

Mix flour and cereal. Blend in oil, margarine or butter. Add water until doughy. Roll about 1/8 inch thick. Cut into squares. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Done when crisp.