Classic Candy Cane Cookies
Perhaps, the festive look of classic Christmas candy cane cookies is what you need to bring on the holiday cheer. Have you made these cookies? Add them to your holiday cookie boxes for a splash of color and peppermint flavor.
CLASSIC CANDY CANE COOKIES STEP-BY-STEP
INGREDIENTS
- All-purpose flour
- Corn starch
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Unsalted Butter at room temperature
- Granulated Sugar
- Egg
- Vanilla Extract
- Peppermint Extract
- Coarse Sanding Sugar (optional, use granulated sugar instead)
- Vanilla Sugar – I love using vanilla sugar, it contributes to even more flavorful cookie profile, ( optional but recommended)
COOKIE DOUGH
Prepare cookie dough and divide it in half (steps 1-8).
COLOR COOKIE DOUGH
Color one half with gel red food coloring. You’ll need about 1/2 teaspoon of coloring (steps 1-6).
SHAPE COOKIE BALLS
With a cookie scoop (1 1/2 inch measure) measure soft cookie dough into equal portions. Cover well with a food wrap and chill for 1 to 2 hours, until firm (steps 1-4).
HOW TO SHAPE CANDY CANE COOKIES
Shape each chilled piece of cookie dough into a snake, about 6-8 inches long. Brush a small amount of egg white or water just on the inside of one of the cookie snakes. This ensures cookie dough will stick together. Gently press snakes together, care not to press too hard you don’t want to misshape the logs (steps 1-4).
Slowly twist the cookie logs and shape each intertwined log into a striped candy cane cookie (steps 5-8).
BAKE COOKIES
Carefully place shaped candy cane cookies onto a baking sheet, lined with parchment, silicone baking mat or perforated mat (steps 1-2). Brush the top with a well-whisked egg white, and sprinkle with a generous amount of coarse sanding sugar mixed with Vanilla sugar.
Bake cookies at 350F (180C) for 10-11 minutes, just until the edges start turning golden.
Allow baked cookies to cool on a baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer them onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
Underneath the sugary crunchy top hides soft interior. Nibble on candy cane cookies with a hot cup of cocoa.
MORE POPULAR CHRISTMAS COOKIES
- Cranberry Pistachio Slice Cookies
- Pretzel Toffee Bars (you can use Saltines, too)
- Fresh Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies
- Viennese Whirls, Vanilla and Chocolate Version
- Chewy Caramel Coffee Cookies via Healthy Little Cravings
- Peppermint Patties
- Gingerbread Men Cookie Recipe
- Cream Cheese Cut Out Cookies
Candy Cane Cookies
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup room temperature unsalted butter (2 sticks,226 grams)
- 3/4 to 1 cup granulated sugar (175-200 grams)
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp Peppermint extract
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 2½ cup all-purpose flour ( (375 grams)
- 1/4 cup corn starch
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 to 1 tsp red gel food coloring
Toppings
- 1 egg white
- 2 tbsp coarse sanding sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla sugar
Instructions
Cookie Dough
- Into a mixing bowl sift all-purpose flour (2½ cups, 375 grams)), cornstarch (1/4 cup), baking powder (3/4 teaspoon), and salt (1/2 teaspoon).On medium-high speed, beat room temperature butter (1 cup, 226 grams) with granulated sugar (3/4 cup to 1 cup, 175 grams to 200 grams) until fluffy and pale in color, about 3-5 minutes.Beat in one whole large egg and mix for about 30 seconds. Then beat in peppermint extract (1 teaspoon) and vanilla extract (1 teaspoon).On low speed, gradually beat in the flour mixture. Cookie dough is soft and somewhat sticky.
Color Cookie Dough
- Divide cookie dough in half and color one half with red gel food coloring.With a 1½ tablespoon measure cookie scoop divide red and vanilla cookie dough into small cookie balls. Cover and chill until firm, about 1-2 hours.
Shape Candy Canes
- Preheat oven to 350F (180C).Dust your work surface with a little bit of flour, don't use too much. Shape red and white pieces of dough into snakes about 6-8 inches long. Brush the inside of one of the snakes with a little bit of egg white wash. Gently press snakes together. Carefully twist two snakes together to create a classic candy cane pattern. Place the red-white snakes onto a baking sheet and shape each snake into a candy cane.
Bake
- Lightly brush each cookie with a well-whisked egg white, don't pool it around the cookies. Generously sprinkle with coarse sanding sugar mixed with vanilla sugar. If you don't have vanilla sugar, skip it.Bake cookies in the preheated oven at 350F (180C) for 10-11 minutes until just lightly golden around the edges. Let cool before handling. Store in an airtight container.
