Apple Chunk Treats

"He's making a list, he's checking it twice, he's gonna find out who's naughty or nice....". So the well-known song's lyrics go!! Interestingly enough, we all have lists of our own to make, and check twice this time of year!! Gifts purchased. Cookies baked. Tree decorated. Cards sent out. Check, check, check, check. On December 20th, I completed my Christmas To-Do List 2012. I baked Rose a batch of dog biscuits!! This time--unlike last year when I was ill-prepared for my cookbook's Christmas recipe--we baked their holiday treats!! Score!! I was "ahead of the game" as that phrase goes!! These treats are intended to be reserved for Christmas morning. However. Rose followed my every move, watching me closely with her colossal brown eyes, telepathically begging for one!! Who can possibly resist? Not me.... Once cooled, I allowed Rose a candy cane-shaped biscuit!! She also sampled some dried apple, which my food-lovin'" girl very much enjoyed!!

Rose would rate this recipe four 'paws' way, way up!!

Santa Paws
SERVE THESE YUMMY YULETIDE GOODIES WITH THE "BEG" NOG. (They were quite yummy. Sweet-tasting!!)
2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/3 cup pecans (I chopped them!!)
1 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup dried fruit*
*your choice: apricots, bananas, apples, pears (We used apples, which I sliced!!) Caution: raisins are toxic to dogs
3/4 cup milk
4 tablespoons margarine (I used butter. We like the real thing around here!!)
1 egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine dry ingredients and gradually (I never follow the "gradually" rule. Because I am a rebel!!) add milk, margarine (Butter!!) and egg. Knead until a dough is formed. Roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness. (I do not follow the exact "1/4 inch" rule anymore. It just makes me crazy-er!! Instead, I cut our dough. Then I flatten the shapes out with my hands, while molding them. I have been doing that for several recipes now!! My goal is to attempt at making each shape evenly flat!! It's less OCD that way for me!!) Cut with cookie cutter (I used adorable holiday shapes, such as a gingerbread man, candy cane, gingerbread woman, Christmas tree, snowman, and stocking!!) and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 35 minutes (I baked nine at a time for 28 minutes!! Watch to make sure those dried apple slices do not burn!!) at 350 degrees. Makes 1 1/2 dozen. (I baked eighteen!!)

The dough was, for whatever reason, very crumbly!! But I had myself a "trusty glass" nearby. It was about half-full of water. I definitely needed that "trusty glass". Because I kept adding more and more drops to my dough along the way until at last we could work some "Christmas magic" with it!! Speaking of Christmas magic. While baking these treats, I was listening to festive holiday music on our radio. And singing, plus humming along!! One of the songs they played was Bruce Springsteen's fun, rocking version of "Santa Claus is Coming to Town"!! Excitement immediately brewed within me. There is something about The Boss' version of that classic song!! It makes me smile my cockeyed smirk. I laugh, soon "ho, ho, ho-ing" along with the late Clarence. I dance as though nobody is watching. I crank it up. And I rock out!!

Sing with me now!!

[Spoken intro:] (Clarence laughs) It's all cold down along the beach, the wind's whipping down the boardwalk... Hey band! (Yeah? Hey, babe!) You guys know what time of year it is? (Yeah!) What time, huh? What? (Christmas time!) What? (Christmas time!) Oh, Christmas time! You guys all, you guys all been good and practicing real hard? Yeah? Clarence, you been, you been rehearsing real hard now, so Santa'll bring you a new saxophone, right? Everybody out there been good, or what? Oh, that's not many, not many, you guys are in trouble out here! Come on.


Yeah, you better watch out, you better not cry
You better not pout, I'm telling you why
Santa Claus is coming to town
Santa Claus is coming to town
Santa Claus is coming to town
He's making a list, he's checking it twice
He's gonna find out who's naughty or nice
Santa Claus is coming to town
Santa Claus is coming to town
Santa Claus is coming to town
He sees you when you're sleeping
He knows when you're awake
He knows if you've been bad or good
You better be good for goodness sake
[Clarence:] You better be good for goodness sake
Oh, you better watch out, you better not cry
You better not pout, I'm telling you why
Santa Claus is coming to town
Santa Claus is coming to town
Santa Claus is coming to town
[Clarence:] Ho ho ho ho!
He sees you when you're sleeping
He knows when you're awake
He knows if you've been bad or good
You better be good for goodness sake
[Clarence:] Better be good for goodness sake
Oh, you better watch out, you better not cry
You better not pout, I'm telling you why
Santa Claus is coming to town
Yeah, Santa Claus is coming to town
Santa Claus is coming to town
[Clarence:] Ho ho ho ho
Santa Claus is coming to town
[Clarence:] Ho ho ho ho
Santa Claus is coming to town
[Clarence:] Ho ho ho ho
Santa Claus is coming to town
[Clarence:] Ho ho ho ho
Santa Claus is coming to town
[Clarence:] Ho ho ho ho
Santa Claus is coming to town
Santa Claus is coming to town
[Clarence:] Ho ho ho ho
Santa Claus is coming to town
[Clarence:] Ho ho ho ho
Santa Claus is coming to town
Alright!
Santa Claus is coming to town, yeah
Santa Claus is coming to town, yeah
Santa Claus is coming to town, whoa
Santa Claus is coming to town