Candy Cane Cookies

These Candy Cane Cookies are a holiday favorite cookie that adds a festive touch to every Christmas cookie plate! Soft with subtle peppermint flavoring these cookies are super easy to make!

this recipe!

There's something about these Candy Cane Cookies that just makes them so hard to resist on a tray full of baked Christmas goodies isn't there?

Always a hit at bake sales and perfect for a cookie exchange, once you get the hang of twisting the dough together, they're easy to make. It might take one or two to get the hang of it.

If you love Christmas cookies, be sure to try Grandma's Shortbread Cookies, and Hershey Kiss Sugar Cookies! Both quick and easy recipes with no chilling required for the cookie dough.

Ingredients

• Granulated sugar
• Butter - use butter softened at room temperature. Take the butter out of the refrigerator 30 to 60 minutes before you start the recipe.
• Milk - You can use 1%, 2% or whole milk.
• Vanilla Extract - I recommend pure vanilla extract for best results.
• Peppermint Extract
• Egg - use large egg for this recipe.
• All purpose flour
• Baking powder
• Salt
• Red food coloring
• Hard Peppermint Candies (or candy canes)

Step by Step Instructions

You can find a full list of ingredients and instructions on a recipe card, located at the bottom of this page. I've added a few visual photo of what to expect along the way when making this recipe, with some tips to ensure a great bake!

1. In a large mixing bowl, or bowl from stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix 1 cup of sugar, butter, milk, vanilla extract, peppermint extract and egg.  Start on low speed, then increase to medium speed once combined. 
2. In a separate bowl, combine all purpose flour, baking powder and salt. 
3. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture and stir just until combined. 
4. Divide dough in half and stir red food coloring into 1 half.  Cover each half of the dough separately with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours. 
5. Crush peppermint candies and mix in a small bowl with 2 Tablespoons of crushed sugar.  You will need to this be ready as soon as the cookies come out of the oven.

• Preheat oven to 375°F.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• From each half of the dough, measure out 28 to 30 pieces.  I like to make my candy canes thick and chunky.  For smaller candy canes, you can make the pieces smaller.  Wash hands after handling the red dough.  The color can easily transfer to the white dough.
• Roll white dough into a 5-inch long rope by rolling back and forth on a very lightly floured surface.  Place on baking sheet and chill while you're mixing the red pieces.  Repeat with red dough.  
• Place one red rope and one white rope side by side and press them gently together.   Carefully pick up and twist, starting from the top.  
• Place on prepared baking sheet and shape the curve for the top of the candy cane.  Gently press the bottom of the candy cane ends together.  

Bake in 375°F oven for 9 to 12 minutes.  Cookies will be lightly set and light brown on the bottom. 
Sprinkle immediately with crushed candy cane/sugar mixture.  Transfer cookies to cooling rack.  Cool before serving.

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