The Freshman Cook: Candy Cane Cookies/ #christmascookies

I love everything about Christmas Cookies! The smells, the colors, the yumminess! But my favorite thing about them is all the emotions and memories that immediately come back. Memories of my mom and I making them every year, since I was 4 years old. The neighbor across the street that taught me how to make pizzelles when I was ten. The many plates full of cookies we would wrap up and deliver to friends at school, church, and the neighborhood. The tins I would carefully fill with special cookies for a boyfriend or two. The mailing boxes carefully filled with sturdy cookies and bubble wrap after my husband and I moved 2000 miles away and couldn’t come home for the holidays. The trays full of cookies I brought for classroom parties over the years, and the many boxes of cookies I sent to my son and his room mates when he was away at college. All these memories flood my mind and make me smile when I think of Christmas Cookies.
So, yes, I do love everything about Christmas Cookies, and you probably do too! I hope you will create some memories with these Candy Cane Cookies, and I would love if you would share any of your Christmas Cookie memories with me in the comment section below. I would love to read about them!

Candy Cane Cookies 

(printable recipe at end of post)
(makes 1 dozen)

3/4 cup Butter

1 cup Sugar

1 large Egg

1 teaspoon Peppermint Extract

1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

2 1/4 cups All Purpose Flour

Red Food Coloring

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Add the egg and mix together. Add the peppermint and vanilla extracts. Add the flour.

Divide dough in half. Leave one half plain.

Color the other half with red food coloring. 

Take a tablespoon of red dough and a tablespoon of white dough. Roll each piece out into a 6″ long piece.

Twist them together into candy canes. Pinch the ends together.

Bake for 7-8 minutes until done. Cool on rack for 3-4 minutes, then remove cookies to rack to cool completely.

I hope you enjoyed these cookies, and thanks for joining me today!

yield: 1 dozenAuthor: The Freshman Cookprint recipe

prep time: 30 MINScook time: 8 MINStotal time: 38 mins

  • 3/4 cup Butter
  • 1 cup Sugar
  • 1 large Egg
  • 1 teaspoon Peppermint Extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • 2 1/4 cups All Purpose Flour
  • Red Food Coloring
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
  2. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Add the egg and mix together. Add the peppermint and vanilla extracts. Add the flour.
  3. Divide dough in half. Leave one half plain.
  4. Color the other half with red food coloring.
  5. Take a tablespoon of red dough and a tablespoon of white dough. Roll each piece out into a 6″ long piece.
  6. Twist them together into candy canes. Pinch the ends together.
  7. Bake for 7-8 minutes until done. Cool on rack for 3-4 minutes, then remove cookies to rack to cool completely. Enjoy!

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