Submitted By Mary Hannah Ellis
These candy cane cookies are so fun to twist, and they can be made with or without the crushed peppermint on top. Peppermint lovers can enjoy that extra crunch of mint on a topped cookie, and even peppermint haters can appreciate the subtle mint flavor on a bare cookie. Each cookie is unique, and some cookies are more – ahem – special than others. Now go and twist the night away…
Ingredients:
1 cup butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp peppermint extract
1 egg
2 1/1 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Red food coloring gel
2 tbsp finely crushed peppermint candies
2 tbsp granulated sugar
Directions:
In a large bowl, beat together butter, both sugars, both extracts, and egg on low speed. Stir in flour, baking powder, and salt. Divide dough into 2 equal portions. Add red food coloring gel to half of the dough until the desired color is reached. Wrap each portion of dough in plastic wrap, then refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours. In a small bowl, combine peppermint candies and 2 tablespoons sugar. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. To make a candy cane cookie, take 1 teaspoon of each dough. Roll each teaspoon into a 4-inch rope. Place 1 red and 1 white rope beside each other, then start twisting the colors together. Press the ends together to prevent unraveling, bend a crook in the neck of each cookie, and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Immediately sprinkle cookies with the peppermint-sugar mixture, if using. Move cookies to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Yield:
3 1/2 to 4 dozen cookies
Watch us attempt to make these cookies here
