Description
Magic of Candy Cane Cookies are a delightful festive treat featuring soft, peppermint-flavored dough in a striking red and white swirl shaped like traditional candy canes. These cookies combine the fresh taste of peppermint with a tender texture, perfect for holiday celebrations and gifting.
Ingredients
For the Dough:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp peppermint extract
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
- Red gel food coloring (as needed)
Instructions
- Prepare butter and sugar: Beat the softened unsalted butter and powdered sugar together until the mixture is smooth, creamy, and fluffy, creating a light base for the cookie dough.
- Add flavorings and egg: Mix in the room temperature egg, vanilla extract, and peppermint extract thoroughly, ensuring the dough is evenly flavored with a holiday peppermint aroma.
- Combine dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour and salt. Gradually add this dry mixture to the wet ingredients, stirring until just combined to form a smooth cookie dough.
- Divide and color dough: Split the dough evenly in half. Add red gel food coloring to one half, kneading until the color is fully incorporated and vibrant, while leaving the other half plain white.
- Chill dough: Wrap each colored dough half tightly in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to firm up, which makes handling and shaping easier.
- Preheat oven: Set the oven to 180°C (350°F) and prepare a baking sheet lined with parchment paper for baking the cookies.
- Shape the cookies: Roll equal portions of red and white dough into ropes of similar thickness. Twist the red and white ropes together gently but firmly, then shape the twisted dough into candy cane shapes, curving the top to mimic the classic candy cane look.
- Bake the cookies: Arrange the shaped candy cane cookies on the parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving some space between each. Bake them in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the cookies are set but not browned, maintaining a soft texture.
- Cool before serving: Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool completely on the baking trays before transferring or serving to maintain their shape and texture.
Notes
- Chilling the dough between batches improves ease of handling and ensures the dough stays firm for shaping.
- Use a teaspoon or similar scoop to portion dough evenly for consistent cookie size and baking.
- Gel food coloring is preferred for bold color results with less mess compared to liquid dyes.
- The dough can be frozen, wrapped tightly, for up to 3 months to prepare in advance.
- For an extra festive touch, dust the cookies with sanding sugar before baking to add sparkle and crunch.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 8-10 minutes
- Category: Dessert, Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
