Description
Delight in festive Candy Cane Cookies, featuring soft peppermint-flavored sugar cookie dough twisted with vibrant red coloring to mimic the classic holiday treat. Perfect for celebrations, these cookies have a tender crumb with a refreshing peppermint kick.
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
Coloring
- ½ teaspoon red squeeze gel color
Instructions
- Cream Butter: Using a stand mixer or handheld mixer on medium-high speed, cream the softened 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 the mixture is fluffy.
- Incorporate Egg: Lower mixer speed to low and add the large egg, mixing until fully incorporated.
- Add Flavorings: Mix in pure peppermint extract and clear vanilla flavoring thoroughly.
- Add Dry Ingredients: On low speed, slowly add baking powder and all-purpose flour half a cup at a time. Mix just until flour is fully combined and no streaks remain.
- Divide Dough: Split dough into two equal balls. Cover the ball intended for white cookies and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Color Dough: Add ½ teaspoon red gel color to remaining dough. Mix on low until color is uniform with no white streaks. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Preheat Oven: Just before removing dough from fridge, preheat oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Prepare Dough Portions: Remove both dough balls from fridge and split each in half.
- Form Dough Balls: On a parchment-covered surface, scoop ½ tablespoon portions of each color and roll each into tight round balls. Chill for 10-15 minutes to keep dough firm.
- Roll Ropes: Roll white and red dough balls into 5-inch long ropes, keeping hands cool to maintain shape.
- Twist Candy Canes: Press the bottoms of one white and one red rope lightly together. Twist ropes carefully without flattening to maintain rounded shape.
- Shape Cookies: Place twisted ropes on baking sheet spaced 2 inches apart. Curve the top end to form the classic candy cane hook shape.
- Bake Cookies: Bake at 350°F for 7 minutes until set but not browned.
- Cool Cookies: Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Repeat: Take remaining dough halves from refrigerator and repeat rolling, twisting, baking, and cooling steps.
- Store: Keep cookies in an airtight container to maintain freshness.
Notes
- Chilling the dough is crucial to prevent spreading and maintain the candy cane shape during baking.
- Monitor oven temperature closely since ovens vary; adjust baking time as needed to avoid overbaking.
- The peppermint extract is essential for the signature minty flavor; omitting it will result in plain sugar cookies.
- Use parchment paper on your workspace to avoid staining from the red dough color.
- Keep your hands cool while rolling dough ropes to preserve their shape and prevent melting.
- Maintain rounded ropes without flattening when twisting the candy cane shapes for a professional look.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 120 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 55 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
