The Gourmet Mama

When I was little, my mother would really go all out for Christmas. She had dozens of Christmas cookie recipes that she would make throughout the month and we always had containers full of delicious things. While I tend to keep things a lot simpler, there are a few cookies that we make every year and this candy cane cookie is one of them. They’re a lot of fun and kids LOVE them! Plus, they’re very easy to make.

Christmas Candy Cane Cookies

Makes 16 candy canes

2 c. flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 c. margarine, room temp

1 c. sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp. peppermint extract

red and green food coloring

Preheat the oven to 350º.

In a bowl, mix the salt, flour and baking powder together and set aside.

Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy, then add egg and extract. Beat until smooth and gradually add the flour mixture until completely mixed.

Divide the dough in half. Color one half red and the other half green. I find that gel colors work best for stronger colors.

Divide each color of dough into sixteen equal pieces. This is easiest if you cut each chunk in half and then halve each half until you have the correct number of pieces.

Roll a piece of red and a piece of green into 5″ logs and then twist together. Lay on a greased cookie sheet and curve one end to look like a candy cane. Repeat with the remaining dough, placing the cookies 1″ apart.

Bake for 6-8 minutes or until the lower edges start to brown. Remove from the cookie sheet and allow to cool. The cookies will stiffen as they cool.