Merry Christmas beauties! I made this post just in time! I’ve been baking like crazy over here and I’m just about done! Tomorrow I’m going to make an ugly sweater cake. Stay tuned to my Instagram to see how that turns out.

Anyway, about these candy cane cookies! So adorable, right?! My Aunt Lynn usually makes them every year for our family but since Covid…. you know…. I decided I would try to make them! I think they turned out ok but not sure if they taste exactly like my Aunts. Oh well! We’ll make do. They are actually pretty simple to make, the dough is great and easy to handle. The tough part is twisting and shaping into candy canes and making them all the same size. As you will see below, it’s not perfect but I don’t care! They bake up pretty good so just do the best you can.

I’ve heard that some people use almond extract in the dough, instead of the peppermint but for these I wanted them to be really minty just like a candy cane! Plus, I already baked another cookie with almond flavor so I didn’t want 2 cookies tasting the same. I only made 4 different Christmas cookies this year so we needed some variety.

All right, let’s get going so you can make these in time! Go ahead and start your ovens.

What you will need:

Cookie sheet lined with parchment paper

3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter at room temp
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
Red food coloring
Crushed candy canes + tablespoon granulated sugar

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In another large bowl, beat butter and sugar until smooth. Add in eggs and both extracts and beat until incorporated. Slowly add in flour mixture until dough forms.

Remove half the dough and put in plastic wrap and in the fridge. With the remaining dough, beat in red food coloring until you reach desired color. Then place that in plastic wrap and in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

In a small bowl, stir crushed candy canes and granulated sugar. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. After the dough has chilled, take about a teaspoon of each color of dough and roll on a clean, dry surface (you may need some flour if the dough is sticky). Make sure both colors are the same length, then twist and form into a candy cane. Place on prepared cookie sheet. Fill cookie sheet with 6-8 cookies. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until just beginning to brown on the edges.

As soon as the come out of the oven, sprinkle with the candy cane mixture. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Continue until you use all of the dough.

Store covered at room temp. Enjoy!

Again, just do your best and have fun with it! Have a very Merry Christmas!