Have you ever made these cookies before? If not, you should totally do it this year with your kiddos or friends! Each Christmas season, my mom would make these with my sisters and myself. It’s a fun memory. They are super easy and kid friendly. Give them a try!
Candy Cane Cookie Recipe Recipe & Picture by Princess Pinky Girl
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 ½ teaspoons pure peppermint extract
- 1 ¼ teaspoons clear vanilla flavoring
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon red squeeze gel color
Instructions
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Using a stand mixer, or a handheld mixer and a large mixing bowl, on medium-high speed, cream the unsalted butter for 1 ½ to 2 minutes.
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Reduce the mixing speed to low, and add the granulated sugar, cream of tartar. Increase the mixing speed to medium and continue to mix for 2 to 3 minutes or until the shortening mixture is fluffy.
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Reduce the mixing speed to low and add the peppermint extract and clear vanilla flavoring.
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Keeping the mixer speed low, slowly add the baking powder and all-purpose flour a ½ cup at a time. Continue mixing just until the flour is well incorporated and no visible streaks of flour are showing.
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Divide the cookie dough into 2 equal dough balls. Return 1 dough ball to the mixing bowl to be colored red. Cover the dough ball that is to be the white part of the candy cane cookie and place it in the refrigerator.
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Add the ½ teaspoons red gel color to the dough that is left in the mixing bowl. Using the mixer on low speed, add the red coloring into the dough until it has a uniform color and no white streaks are visible. Place the red dough in a medium-size bowl and cover the red dough and refrigerate for 1 hour.
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Just before removing the dough from the refrigerator, preheat the oven to 350* and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
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Using a ½ tablespoon measuring spoon, scoop out the white and red dough balls. Roll each into a tight round ball, to make sure the dough rope holds its shape.
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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) Use your hand to roll the white and red dough balls into 5 inch long ropes. It is very important that your hands stay cool while you are rolling the ropes.
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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.
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Place the twisted rope onto the prepared baking sheet and curve the rope tops into the candy cane crook. Repeat the dough ball and twisting process with the remaining dough. Place the cookies 2 inches apart.
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Bake for 7 minutes.
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Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for 10 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack. Store in an airtight container.
