candy cane

Candy Cane Cookies

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!

Candy Cane Cookies 

A Christmas favorite for sure! So pretty to look at and just as easy to eat! Making them, however, is tedious and takes a little longer than a typical cookie. But it’s definitely worth it! These candy cane cookies are the perfect addition to your holiday dessert table or cookie exchange 🙂 Go put on your aprons and let’s get baking…

What you will need:

Cookie sheet lined with parchment paper

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (plus more for rolling)
Dash of salt
1 cup unsalted butter at room temp
1 cup powdered sugar
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
Red food coloring
Crushed candy canes for sprinkling on top

In a bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Set aside. In another large bowl, or bowl of your electric mixer, beat butter and powdered sugar until creamy. Add yolks and extracts and beat until combined. Slowly add in flour until dough is formed. Take out half of the dough and wrap in plastic wrap and stick in the refrigerator. Add several drops of red food coloring to the remaining dough and mix until you achieve the desired color. Wrap that dough in plastic wrap and stick in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit. On a piece of parchment paper with flour, separately roll a quarter size of each color into a 4-5 inch rope.

Gently press together and pinch the top and bottom. Twist together and place on your prepared cookie sheet. Bend the tops to resemble a candy cane. Continue until you use all the dough. If the dough seems soft, stick the cookie sheet in the refrigerator for 10 minutes before baking. Bake for 8-10 minutes.

As soon as they are out of the oven, sprinkle with crushed candy cane. Let the cookies rest on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!

So festive! Happy holidays!

 

Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

I’m so happy how these turned out! They are so delicious and look beautiful. The cookie is almost brownie-like and the peppermint candy on the top creates the perfect crunch. They are super easy and do not take long to make, either so let’s go!

What you will need:

Cookie sheet lined with parchment paper

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Dash of salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temp
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons water
1/4 cup crushed candy canes

Note: This recipe only made about 15 cookies, so double it if you need more.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In another large bowl, or the bowl of your electric mixer, beat butter and both sugars until creamy. Add egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Slowly add flour mixture until just combined. The dough will be quite thick! Cover dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Roll dough into balls and press down lightly onto cookie sheet. Bake for 7-9 minutes. As soon as cookies come out of oven, sprinkle with crushed candy canes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!

Look at these beauties! 🙂

Peppermint Bark

The holiday season is here!!! I love it so much. To start off the baking season I wanted to do something simple but super delicious! Peppermint bark is so good and beautiful, the perfect thing to bring to your holiday gatherings. AND people will be like “you made this?” Yes, yes I did 😉 So let’s go make some bark!

What you will need:

8 inch square pan lined with foil

6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
Crushed candy canes (or other peppermint candy)

Melt the chocolate and vegetable oil in a large glass or stainless steel bowl over a pot of simmering water. Stir constantly. Pour the melted chocolate into the prepared pan and smooth evenly with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle the crushed peppermint candy evenly over the chocolate. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Break into pieces and enjoy!

Store covered in the refrigerator for several days.

Tip: You can also add a layer of white chocolate. Just pour 6 ounces of melted white chocolate on top of the hardened chocolate layer and add the crushed peppermint to the white chocolate.