Description
Festive, buttery, and lightly minty, these Candy Cane Cookies are a holiday favorite. Twisted red and white dough creates the perfect candy cane shape, and a hint of peppermint brings the classic Christmas flavor. Great for cookie swaps, gifting, or baking with kids!
Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
Red gel food coloring
Additional sugar for sprinkling (optional)
Instructions
1. In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and powdered sugar until smooth and fluffy.
2. Beat in the egg, vanilla extract, and peppermint extract. Gradually add the flour and salt, mixing until the dough comes together.
3. Split the dough into two equal parts. Leave one plain, and tint the other with red gel food coloring. Wrap both portions and chill for 30 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Roll 1 teaspoon of each dough into ropes about 4 inches long, twist together, and form into a candy cane shape. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
5. Bake for 8–10 minutes or until edges are just golden. Let cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Use gel food coloring to avoid watering down the dough.
Chill dough thoroughly to make shaping easier.
Add sanding sugar before baking for a frosted look.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 120
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 40mg
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 15g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 20mg
Keywords: holiday cookies, peppermint cookies, candy cane cookies