Hi there! Are you one to do a lot of holiday baking? I completely love it. I make tried-and-true family-favorites first, then scour my magazines and pins for new recipes to try each year. Sometimes they’re a flop; but other times, the new ones make “the rotation.” These candy cane cookies, however, always make the cut. They’ve been a tradition between my mom and me since I was tiny, and now we make them with our girls. Every year, we always end up with more white than red (EVERY year, right mom?), so we make our initials with the extra white dough when we’re done. Here ya go…from my family to yours.
Candy Cane Cookies
Preheat oven to 375
Mix together thoroughly:
1/2 c. soft butter
1/2 c. soft shortening (like Crisco, but not butter flavored)
1 c. sifted confectioner’s sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. peppermint extract
1 tsp. vanilla
Then, add 2 1/2 c. flour and 1 tsp. salt. Mix well. You can start out with a hand mixer, but may need to mix in the last of the flour by hand.
Divide the dough in half. Add red food coloring to one half. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour.
Shape the cookies on a surface lightly dusted with confectioner’s sugar. Shape a 1-inch ball out of the white dough and a 1-inch ball out of the red dough. Roll each of these balls with the palm of your hand into “ropes” about 5 inches long. Make sure they’re not too skinny. Twist the two ropes together and shape into a candy cane shape. Place on an ungreased baking sheet. Repeat to make the remainder of the canes.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until the bottoms are lightly browned.
Happy Baking!
Other Christmas cookie recipes:
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