Description
Magic of Candy Cane Cookies are soft, festive sugar cookies featuring a delicate peppermint flavor and a striking red and white twisted design. These cookies are perfect for holiday celebrations, combining the creamy texture from powdered sugar and butter with the refreshing taste of peppermint extract. The use of gel food coloring ensures vibrant color without affecting the dough’s texture, while chilling the dough makes shaping easy and helps the cookies hold their iconic candy cane shape during baking.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough Base
- 1 cup (227g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 2 1/2 cups (312g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Coloring
- Red gel food coloring (such as AmeriColor or Chefmaster), amount as needed to achieve deep red hue
For baking
- Parchment paper for lining baking sheets
Instructions
- Make the Dough Base: In a large bowl, beat 1 cup of softened butter and 1 cup of powdered sugar until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes using a hand mixer. Add in 1 egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract. Mix until just combined to avoid overmixing, which keeps the cookies soft.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together 2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until a soft dough forms.
- Divide and Color Dough: Divide the dough evenly in half. Leave one half plain (white dough). To the other half, add sufficient red gel food coloring and mix until the dough is evenly colored. Use gel coloring to avoid making the dough sticky.
- Chill the Dough: Wrap both dough halves separately in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Chilling makes the dough easier to handle and helps the cookies maintain their shape during baking.
- Shape the Candy Canes: Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Pinch off a teaspoon-sized piece of red dough and a teaspoon of white dough each. Roll each piece into a rope approximately 10–12 cm long. Lay the ropes side by side, gently twist them together, and curve one end to form a candy cane shape.
- Prepare for Baking: Place the shaped candy cane cookies on the prepared baking sheet with some space in between, as they will not spread much during baking.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 8–10 minutes, until the cookies are set but not browned. Avoid overbaking to keep them soft.
- Cool: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. This allows them to firm up and ensures they hold their shape.
Notes
- Use room-temperature butter to achieve a creamy dough texture.
- Powdered sugar is preferred over granulated sugar for a soft, melting texture.
- A little peppermint extract goes a long way; use pure extract for the best flavor.
- Gel food coloring provides vibrant color without making the dough sticky; AmeriColor or Chefmaster brands are recommended.
- Don’t skip the salt as it balances and enhances the sweetness.
- Do not overmix dough to avoid tough cookies.
- Chill dough thoroughly before shaping for better handling and defined shapes.
- Roll dough gently to prevent flattening the ropes and losing the candy cane shape.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 8-10 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Candy Cane Cookies, Peppermint Cookies, Holiday Cookies, Soft Sugar Cookies, Festive Cookies, Christmas Cookies
