Description
Soft yet crisp on the outside, these festive Candy Cane Cookies are infused with peppermint flavor and twisted into classic candy cane shapes. Perfect for holiday celebrations, they combine a tender sugar cookie base with a refreshing peppermint kick and a sprinkle of crushed candies for extra crunch.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (360g)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened (227g)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1½ teaspoons peppermint extract
- 1 teaspoon red food coloring
Topping
- 3 tablespoons crushed peppermint candies
Instructions
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add Egg and Extracts: Beat in the large egg, vanilla extract, and peppermint extract, scraping down the bowl once to ensure even mixing.
- Incorporate Flour Mixture: With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture. Beat just until the flour is combined. If some flour remains at the bottom, remove the bowl and knead gently by hand until fully incorporated.
- Divide and Color Dough: Remove half of the dough from the bowl. Add the red food coloring to this half and mix thoroughly until the dough is evenly colored. Wrap each dough half separately in plastic wrap and press into 1-inch thick disks.
- Chill Dough: Refrigerate the wrapped dough disks for 4 hours or until firm to the touch. Dough can be chilled up to 3 days at this stage.
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Shape Cookies: Cut the dough into 1-inch cubes. Roll each cube into a ball. Lightly flour your work surface and roll the dough balls into 5-inch-long ropes by gently rolling them back and forth with your palm. Place one red rope and one plain rope side by side and twist gently together. Curve one end down about an inch to form the candy cane handle. Place the shaped cookies 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake: Bake the cookies for 10 minutes until they appear dry but not browned.
- Add Toppings and Cool: Immediately sprinkle the hot cookies with crushed peppermint candies. Let them cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- For best results, use gel food coloring for a richer red hue without altering dough consistency.
- If the dough is too sticky to roll, chill it slightly longer or dust your hands and surface with flour.
- Crushed peppermint candies add a festive crunch but can be omitted or substituted with colored sugar for a different texture.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
- These cookies make a charming gift when wrapped in cellophane with a ribbon.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 126 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 46 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 17 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 21 mg
