Candy Cane cookies have been a popular Christmas party cookie for years. At our house, Candy Cane cookies are a family event. Making these cookies was something that all the children looked forward too, more than making Gingerbread Houses! These cookies are a bit labor intensive, but they are well worth the effort!
Ingredients
- 1 cup shortening
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar (sifted)
- 1 egg
- 1 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. red food coloring
- 1/2 cup crushed peppermint candy
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- Heat oven to 375.
- In a large bowl, mix together shortening, sugar, egg,vanilla, and almond extract. Mix thoroughly.
- Mix flour and salt together. Slowly stir into sugar mixture.
- Divide dough into two equal halves.
- Blend red food coloring into one half of dough.
- Using 1 tsp of dough, roll a 4″ strip from each color of dough.
- Place one red strip and one white strip side by side.
- Press one set of ends together, then twist strips like a rope.
- Place on ungreased cookie sheet.
- Curve top of rope down to form handle of cane.
- Bake approximately 9 minutes, until lightly browned.
- While still warm, remove cookie from cookie sheet and sprinkle with mixture of crushed candy and sugar.
Makes approximately 4 dozen cookie canes.
Tips:
- To prevent dough from drying out, make each cookie one at a time, rather than rolling out all one color, then the other.
- For smooth, even strips, roll strips back and forth on a lightly floured surface (or use confectioners’ sugar!)
