Description
Nothing captures the spirit of the holiday season quite like a batch of homemade Candy Cane Cookies. These classic treats, with their signature swirled red-and-white design and peppermint-infused flavor, are a must-have for any festive cookie platter.
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 large egg (room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 2 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Red food coloring (gel preferred)
Instructions
1. Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 375°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Cream Butter & Sugar: In a mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and powdered sugar together on medium-high speed for 3–4 minutes until light and fluffy.
3. Add Egg & Extracts: Crack in the egg, then stir in vanilla and peppermint extracts until smooth.
4. Blend Dry Ingredients: Gradually mix flour and salt into the wet mixture until a soft dough forms.
5. Divide & Color: Split the dough into two equal parts. Add red gel food coloring to one half and knead until evenly colored.
6. Shape the Cookies: Roll out teaspoon-sized pieces of each colored dough into ~4-inch ropes. Twist one red and one plain rope together, then curve into a candy cane shape.
7. Bake: Place shaped cookies on the prepared baking sheets 1-2 inches apart. Bake 8–10 minutes or until bottoms are lightly golden and tops remain pale.
8. Cool & Serve: Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Using softened, room-temperature butter is crucial for achieving the optimal texture.
Letting the egg come to room temperature before adding it to the dough helps it incorporate more easily.
Be gentle when kneading the red-colored dough to avoid overworking the gluten, which can lead to tough cookies.
Rolling the dough into long, thin ropes and twisting them together helps maintain the candy cane shape during baking.
Store the cooled Candy Cane Cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 120
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 50mg
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 15g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 30mg