When I asked my friend Debbie to share one of her family favourite holiday treats, she was quick with her response. This Candy Cane cookie recipe brings back years of good times spent baking with her daughters Robyn and Carolyn.
If you really like the taste of peppermint this recipe can be adapted easily by adding crushed candy cane as a topping or in the dough. Or you can add green colour for an additional candy cane twist.
Debbie’s family enjoy the mint flavouring in these cookies but she notes the vanilla and mint extracts can be adjusted to your liking.
I have to admit twisting the dough and forming it into candy cane shapes was a challenge but it also made me realize that no two candy canes will be the same, each are unique like we are.
Here is the recipe, enjoy the fun of making, baking and tasting them.
Ingredients
1/2 cup softened butter
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup icing sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp peppermint flavouring
2 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp salt
Red food colouring
NOTE: 1/2 cup crushed candy cane (optional to mix into the dough mixture or sprinkled on the top before baking).
Directions
Preheat oven to 375F.
Mix butter and shortening, icing sugar, egg, vanilla and peppermint flavouring.
Blend in flour and salt into the butter/shortening mixture. Mix until it forms into a smooth cookie dough.
Divide dough into 2 equal balls. Add a few drops of red food colouring into one ball of the dough and mix well.
Using a small cookie scoop or spoon, scoop out about 1 tsp cookie dough of each colour.
Roll out each using your hands into about 4 inches.
Place one strip red and one uncoloured strip. side by side, press slightly together and twist in opposite direction to form a rope.
Form the rope into a candy cane shape and place on an ungreased or parchment lined cookie sheet.
Bake in a preheated 375F oven for 8-10 minutes.
You are so welcome!