Marble Christmas Treats

Blogging Friends.... Well, Santa "Claws" finished ordering around his elves {I am one of them!!} to bake Rose her treats today!! For Christmas is nearly here!! Treats needed baked!! Now. Santa "Claws" understands that I lack impulse control during Christmastime, and struggle with keeping holiday secrets. He also knows all about my dear Blogging Friends. How they love, love, love dog treat recipes. So!! Santa "Claws" has given me permission to reveal one of his elves' recipes!! Thanks, Big Dude!!

First things first. I have lost count of how many times I've heard Bruce Springsteen's rockin' version of "Santa Claus {Insert his attractive New Jersey accent!!} is Coming to Town" this Christmas!! Quite happily!! When Christmas is over, I'm afraid that I will suffer from some serious Boss withdrawals!! And chocolate....

You know how, as a rebel, I always break at least one rule while baking dog treat recipes? Well.... With this recipe? I broke every freakin' rule!! Oh well!! They turned out, anyway....?

 Rose would rate this recipe: Four 'paws' way, way up!! {Yes, she got a sample!! Two, actually!!}

Red {Pink, really!!} and Green Christmas Cookies

These biscuits are slightly more complicated {I kept quoting The Mandarin's line from "Iron Man 3". "It's complicated. It's complicated. Hey. It's complicated.". Because I am an oddball!!} to make than most other recipes in this book, but they're very pretty and make a great gift at holiday time! Hint: To save time, buy pre-washed spinach.

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup tomato juice {I gave Rose a taste. And she snubbed it!!}

2 tablespoons safflower oil {I used what we had. Which was vegetable oil!!}

1 1/2 cup loosely packed spinach leaves {I already know from previous experience that Rose will snub that vegetable!! Nothing pleases me more than to hide ingredients which she refuses in treats!!}

1/4 cup water

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Blend the flour and cheese in a large bowl. {I just stirred it!!} Put 2 1/2 cups of the flour-cheese mixture into {a} food processor. Add tomato juice and 1 tablespoon of the oil. Mix together until a ball of red {Pink!!} dough forms. {It was quite crumbly, so I added several small spoonfuls of tomato juice!!} Remove the dough from the food processor and set aside. {Okay. We have a cheap, crappy food processor, so I just stirred everything in!! Note to self. Buy a good food processor!!} Rinse out the food processor bowl. Return it to the base and add spinach. Process to chop the spinach. {Uh.... Sans a well-working food processor, I chopped it by hand!!} Add water while the blade is going and continue to process until the spinach is finely chopped. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and remaining 2 cups of the flour mixture. Process to form green dough. {I just stirred and mashed it together!!} On a lightly floured surface, roll red {Pink!!} and green dough out, separately, into 1/4-inch-thick ovals. Try to make the ovals the same size and shape. {Okay. I did not fret over such a petty detail of rolling out ovals. I just tried my very best at making twain doughs with differing consistencies equal sizes!! Warning. It was much easier said than done!!} Stack the green oval atop the red oval and roll again. {I ran into a little issue regarding leftover dough. Ready? Once I was finished pressing my cookie cutters into the dough, its colors were completely inseparable. Completely inseparable. How on earth was I supposed to use the rest of my dough for treats? Answer? Mix the colors together like some small child with Play-Doh!! My result? Pink and green marble Christmas treats!! Cool!! Use cookie cutters to roll into Christmas shapes. {I have a stocking. One gingerbread man. A candy cane. One gingerbread woman. A Christmas tree. One snowman. A bell. And one holly leaf.} Place on a baking sheet covered with greased or non-stick foil. {Whoops, I forgot that little rule!! Oh well!!} Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until just starting to brown on top. {Ovens vary. But I did 30. However. If you are actually following the recipe's rules {Unlike me!!} I recommend the treats be flipped mid-baking for equal browning!!} Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

I baked 20 treats!!