Candy Cane Cookies
Makes 3-4 dozen cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup shortening (Crisco)
- ½ cup butter, softened (room temperature)
- 1 large egg
- 1½ tsp almond extract
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup confectioners sugar, sifted
- 2½ cups flour, sifted
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp red food coloring (more or less to your color preference)
Optional - sprinkle while cookies are still warm
- ½ cup crushed peppermint candy
- ½ cup sugar
Special Equipment
- hand mixer
- ruler
- parchment paper
- cookie sheet
How-to
Make Batter
- Preheat oven to 375º
- In a bowl, mix shortening until blended. Add the egg continue to mix
- Add almond and vanilla extracts and mix for about 1 minute
- Add ⅓ of sifted confectioners sugar and mix. Repeat until all the sugar has been incorporated
- In a separate bowl, sift in flour and salt. Mix thoroughly
- Add ⅓ of flour salt mixture to wet ingredient and mix. Repeat until all the dry ingredients have been added
- Using a figure-8 pattern, mix ingredients until dough takes on a thick consistency. Be sure to scrape dough from the sides to incorporate
Coloring Dough
- Divide dough in half. In one half, add ½ tsp of red food coloring, a few drops at a time. Stir to incorporate
Shape Cookies
- Using about 1 tsp, roll dough into thin rope-like shapes about 4" long. Press pieces together and twist and form into candy cane shape
- Place on parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake for about 9 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned around the edges
Bake & Decorate
- While the cookies are still warm sprinkle with sugar and/or crushed peppermint candy