Description
Candy Cane Cookies are festive, peppermint-flavored treats perfect for the holiday season. Made with a smooth, buttery dough colored in classic red and white, these twisted cookies bring both charm and delicious peppermint vanilla flavor to your celebrations. The dough is chilled, shaped into three-dimensional candy cane forms, brushed with egg white for a glossy finish, sprinkled with sparkling sugar, and baked to a tender, lightly golden perfection.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Dough
- 2 sticks (227g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons peppermint extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 large egg
- 2 3/4 cups (385g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon liquid red food coloring
To Finish
- 1 egg white
- 2 tablespoons sparkling sugar
Instructions
- Make the dough: Place the butter, sugar, peppermint extract, vanilla extract, baking powder, and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on medium speed until a paste forms and clings to the side of the bowl, about 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the sides, then beat in the egg until fully incorporated. Add the all-purpose flour and mix on low speed until just combined, ensuring no dry streaks of flour remain.
- Color half the dough: Divide the dough in half, removing one portion from the bowl. Add the liquid red food coloring to the remaining dough in the mixer bowl and mix on low speed until the color is evenly distributed and uniform.
- Chill the dough: Pat each half of the dough into flat disks. Wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or preferably overnight to allow the dough to firm up for easier shaping.
- Preheat the oven: When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats to prevent sticking.
- Shape the cookies: Remove dough from the refrigerator and allow it to soften slightly if too hard (but do not let it get too warm). Pinch off a 1-inch piece of white dough and roll it out into a 5-inch long rope. Do the same with a piece of red dough, ensuring both ropes are the same length. Place the red and white ropes side by side and twist them together tightly. Curve the twisted rope at the top to form a candy cane shape. Place the shaped cookies on the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Repeat with remaining dough.
- Apply egg white wash and sugar: In a small bowl, beat the egg white together with 1 tablespoon of water until foamy. Brush each cookie lightly with the egg white wash and sprinkle the tops evenly with sparkling sugar for a festive shimmer.
- Bake the cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the edges are just barely brown and the cookies are set. Avoid overbaking to keep them tender and not dry.
- Cool the cookies: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Allow cookie sheets to cool completely before baking subsequent batches to prevent spreading from residual heat.
Notes
- If the dough is too dry to come together, sprinkle a small amount of cool water over it and knead gently until cohesive.
- If cookies spread too much when baking, chill the shaped, unbaked cookies in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes before placing them in the oven.
- Cookies will keep for 1-2 weeks stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
- Allow cookie sheets to fully cool between batches to prevent butter from melting and causing misshapen cookies.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 140 kcal
- Sugar: 9 g
- Sodium: 90 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4.3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg
