Description
These Candy Cane Cookies are festive peppermint-flavored sugar cookies twisted into charming candy cane shapes, perfect for holiday celebrations and gifting. They feature a soft, tender texture with a delightful peppermint aroma and a beautiful red and white swirl.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup (2 sticks) 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 teaspoons clear vanilla flavoring
- ⅛ teaspoon baking powder
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon red squeeze gel color
Instructions
- Cream Butter: Using a stand mixer or handheld mixer on medium-high speed, cream the unsalted butter for 1½ to 2 minutes until smooth.
- Add Sugar and Cream: Reduce speed to low, add granulated sugar, cream of tartar, and heavy cream. Increase to medium speed and mix for 2 to 3 minutes until fluffy.
- Incorporate Egg: Lower mixer speed to low and add the egg, mixing until fully incorporated.
- Add Extracts: Mix in peppermint extract and clear vanilla flavoring thoroughly.
- Add Dry Ingredients: At low speed, gradually add baking powder and flour ½ cup at a time, mixing just until no flour streaks remain.
- Divide Dough: Split dough into two equal balls. Cover one ball and refrigerate for 1 hour. Leave the other in the mixing bowl for coloring.
- Color Dough: Add red gel color to the uncolored dough and mix on low speed until uniformly red. Place colored dough in a covered bowl and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Preheat Oven: Just before removing dough from fridge, preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Portion Dough: Divide both red and white dough into halves; keep halves refrigerated until ready to use.
- Roll Dough Balls: On parchment-covered surface, scoop ½ tablespoon of each dough color and roll into tight balls. Chill for 10-15 minutes if possible to keep dough cool.
- Form Ropes: Roll each dough ball into a 5-inch long rope, keeping hands cool to prevent warming the dough.
- Twist Candy Canes: Press bottoms of one red and one white rope together lightly, then twist gently to combine without flattening. Place twisted ropes on baking sheet and curve tops to create candy cane hook.
- Bake Cookies: Space cookies 2 inches apart and bake for 7 minutes at 350°F.
- Cool Cookies: Let cookies cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
- Repeat: Use remaining dough halves and repeat rolling, shaping, and baking steps.
- Store: Once cooled, store cookies in an airtight container to maintain freshness.
Notes
- Chilling the dough is essential to prevent spreading and maintain the candy cane shape during baking.
- Oven temperatures can vary; watch cookies closely as baking time approaches to avoid overbaking.
- Peppermint extract is key for the flavor; omit it for plain sugar cookies.
- Cover the counter or cutting board with parchment paper when rolling red dough to prevent staining.
- Keep hands cool during rolling to preserve the shape and texture of the dough ropes.
- Do not flatten the ropes when twisting to keep the candy cane appearance crisp and rounded.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 120 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 50 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
