Candy Cane Cookie Recipe

The below recipe incorporates the Christmas symbol of the candy cane and has the benefit of melting in your mouth! Visit our Christmas Symbols page to learn more about the symbolism and meaning of candy canes at Christmas. This recipe is also used in our “Sharing the Christmas Story with Food” project.

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract, optional
2 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon liquid red food coloring

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Beat in egg, vanilla, and peppermint extracts.
4. Gradually mix in flour and salt, beating just until blended.
5. Remove half of the dough and set aside. Add the red food coloring to the remaining dough and beat until evenly mixed and colored.
6. For each candy cane, scoop1 teaspoonful of the plain dough and 1 teaspoonful of the pink dough (tip: a small melon baller will give you about the right amount). Roll each dough portion between your hands to make a 4 inch rope. Twist the ropes around each other like a Barber Pole and shape into a cane shape. Arrange cookies on a lightly greased baking sheet.
7. If dough becomes too soft, refrigerate for a few minutes until it firms up again, and only take out small amounts at a time to speed production.
8. Bake for about 8 minutes until firm to touch. Do not let the cookies brown.

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