Description
These festive Candy Cane Cookies are a delightful holiday treat featuring a tender, buttery base infused with peppermint and vanilla extracts. The dough is divided and colored with red food coloring, then twisted into classic candy cane shapes for a visually striking and delicious cookie perfect for sharing during the holiday season.
Ingredients
Scale
Base Dough
- 2 sticks salted butter, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 tsp. peppermint extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
Coloring & Decoration
- 1/2 – 1 tsp. red food coloring
- 3 candy canes, crushed (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the Base Dough: Place the softened butter and powdered sugar in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on medium speed with a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and peppermint extract, mixing well to combine. Gradually add the flour 1 cup at a time, mixing on low speed between additions, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed until fully incorporated.
- Chill White Dough: Remove half of the dough and shape it into a 1-inch thick disc. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour or overnight to firm.
- Color and Chill Red Dough: To the remaining dough, add the red food coloring (starting with 1/2 teaspoon and adding more to reach desired shade). Mix on low speed until fully incorporated. Remove the red dough, knead a few times on a clean surface to evenly distribute the color, then form into a 1-inch thick disc. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for one hour.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets: Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Shape the Cookies: Unwrap both dough discs. Pinch off 1/2-tablespoon portions from each color. Roll each piece into a 5-inch long rope on a clean surface—keep white and red dough separate to avoid color transfer. Place white and red ropes side by side and twist them together, pinching the ends to seal. Shape into a candy cane form and place on the prepared baking sheets. Continue rolling, twisting, and shaping all dough pieces. If dough becomes sticky or hard to handle, rewrap and chill for 15 minutes.
- Bake and Decorate: Bake for 12 minutes or until the white dough is lightly golden. If desired, immediately sprinkle crushed candy canes on top of the hot cookies. Allow cookies to cool completely on the sheets.
- Store: Once cooled, store cookies in an airtight container in a single layer separated by parchment paper for up to one week at room temperature.
Notes
- For more intense red color, use 1/2 teaspoon gel food coloring or 1 teaspoon liquid red food coloring.
- If dough becomes sticky during shaping, re-chill to make it easier to handle.
- Crushed candy canes are optional and add a nice crunchy peppermint topping.
- Make dough ahead of time and refrigerate overnight for convenience.
- Use parchment paper on baking sheets for easy cleanup and to prevent sticking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 140
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 70mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 4.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 25mg
