Candy Cane Cookies
Candy cane cookies made from red and white sugar cookie dough rolled into ropes. Sweet and minty with a soft middle, and one batch makes 48.
Servings: 48 cookies
Calories: 56kcal
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ⅛ teaspoon baking powder softened
- 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter softened
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1½ teaspoons pure peppermint extract
- 1¼ teaspoon clear vanilla flavoring
- ½ teaspoon red squeeze gel color
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder. Set aside.3 cups all-purpose flour, ⅛ teaspoon baking powder
- Using a stand mixer, or a handheld mixer and a large mixing bowl, on medium-high speed, cream the unsalted butter for 1½ to 2 minutes.2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter
- Reduce the mixing speed to low and add the granulated sugar, cream of tartar and heavy cream. Increase the mixing speed to medium and continue to mix for 2 to 3 minutes or until the butter mixture is fluffy.1½ cups granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon cream of tartar, 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- Reduce the mixing speed on low and add the egg. Mix until well incorporated.1 large egg
- Add the peppermint extract and clear vanilla flavoring.1½ teaspoons pure peppermint extract, 1¼ teaspoon clear vanilla flavoring
- Keeping the mixer speed on low, slowly add the flour and baking powder, ½ cup at a time. Continue mixing until the flour is well incorporated and no visible streaks of flour are showing.
- Divide the cookie dough into 2 equal dough balls. Wrap one dough ball in plastic wrap and return the other dough ball to the mixing bowl to be colored red.
- Add ½ teaspoon of red gel color to the dough ball in the mixing bowl. On low speed, mix until you reach a uniform color and no white streaks are visible.½ teaspoon red squeeze gel color
- Wrap the red dough ball in plastic wrap. Refrigerate both dough balls for 1 hour.
- Remove the dough balls from the refrigerator and use a ½ tablespoon to scoop the dough and roll into a tight round ball, to make sure the dough rope holds its shape.
- Return the dough balls to the refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes. The colder they are, the better they hold their shape.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Cover your counter or a cutting board with a sheet of parchment paper. (This is to keep from staining the counter or cutting board red.)
- Remove a few dough balls of each color at a time (I removed 6 balls of each color at a time.) Using your hand, gently roll a white and red dough ball into 5 inch long ropes. It is very important that your hands stay cool while you are rolling the ropes.
- Lightly press the bottoms of the 2 ropes together. Carefully and with light pressure, twist the ropes together. Be sure to keep the ropes rounded and do not flatten them out.
- Place the twisted rope onto the prepared baking sheet and curve the rope tops into the candy cane crook. Repeat the rolling and twisting process with the remaining dough. Place the cookies 2 inches apart. (I baked one cookie sheet of candy cane cookies while rolling and twisting the next batch of cookies.)
- Bake for 7 to 9 minutes.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for 10 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack.
- Store cookies in an airtight container.
Notes
Tips:
- Pull these before you see any browning. They are done between 7 and 9 minutes and should still look pale coming out, because once color starts they are overdone and you lose the soft middle.
- Keep the dough cold and work with about 6 balls of each color at a time. If a rope starts cracking, roll it back into a ball and start it again.
- A dark baking sheet browned the bottoms on me. An insulated sheet baked them evenly.
Storage:
The baked cookies keep for about a week in an airtight container. Do not leave them in the refrigerator for long, because they dry out. They freeze for about two months, but they are better fresh. If you are holding the dough instead, use it within a couple of days before it starts to dry out.
To get ahead, shape the cookies completely, freeze them on a parchment lined baking sheet, then move them to a freezer bag for up to three months. Bake them straight from the freezer and add a few minutes to the time.
Nutrition
Calories: 56kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 0.3g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Trans Fat: 0.002g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 2mg | Potassium: 17mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 11IU | Vitamin C: 0.002mg | Calcium: 2mg | Iron: 0.4mg
