Description
Sweet candy cane cookies bring festive winter magic to holiday dessert tables, blending peppermint’s cool crunch with buttery cookie charm. Crisp red and white swirled treats offer delightful crispness that melts in your mouth, creating delicious Christmas memories.
Ingredients
Scale
Primary Ingredients:
- 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 ¾ cups (345 g) all-purpose flour
Flavor and Seasoning Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Red gel food coloring
Finishing Ingredients:
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon crushed peppermint candies
Instructions
- Craft a luxurious butter-sugar foundation by whipping softened butter and sugar until they transform into a cloud-like, airy mixture. Incorporate egg, vanilla, and peppermint extracts, blending thoroughly to create a harmonious liquid base.
- Sift flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate vessel. Gradually fold dry ingredients into the wet mixture, gently kneading until a supple dough emerges.
- Partition the dough precisely into two equal portions. Infuse one half with vibrant red gel food coloring, massaging carefully to ensure uniform pigmentation.
- Encase both dough sections in protective plastic wrap and allow them to rest and chill in the refrigerator for half an hour, enabling flavors to meld and texture to stabilize.
- Warm the oven to 375F (190C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper, creating a pristine workspace.
- Extract small segments of red and plain dough, rolling each into slender, elegant ropes approximately 4-5 inches long.
- Delicately intertwine the red and plain ropes, gently curving the top to mimic a classic candy cane silhouette. Arrange carefully on prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, watching for subtle edge firming without overcooking. Allow cookies to rest briefly on the baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack.
- Optional: Sprinkle a sparkling mixture of granulated sugar and crushed peppermint candies over warm cookies for an extra festive touch.
Notes
- Chill dough thoroughly to prevent spreading and maintain crisp candy cane stripes during baking.
- Use gel food coloring for vibrant, even red color without altering dough consistency.
- Keep dough chilled between batches to maintain shape and prevent softening.
- Twist ropes gently and evenly to create uniform, professional-looking candy cane patterns.
- Work on cool surfaces to prevent dough from becoming too soft and losing definition.
- Swap peppermint extract with almond or vanilla for different flavor variations.
- Gluten-free bakers can substitute all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend.
- Crush candy canes finely for a more delicate topping texture.
- Store cookies in an airtight container between layers of parchment to prevent sticking.
- For dairy-free option, replace butter with plant-based margarine or coconut oil.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 24
- Calories: 138
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 55 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg