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
  1. Preheat oven to 375º
  2. In a bowl, mix shortening until blended. Add the egg continue to mix
  3. Add almond and vanilla extracts and mix for about 1 minute
  4. Add ⅓ of sifted confectioners sugar and mix. Repeat until all the sugar has been incorporated
  5. In a separate bowl, sift in flour and salt. Mix thoroughly 
  6. Add ⅓ of flour salt mixture to wet ingredient and mix. Repeat until all the dry ingredients have been added
  7. 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
  1. 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
  1. 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
  2. Place on parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake for about 9 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned around the edges
 
Bake & Decorate
  1. While the cookies are still warm sprinkle with sugar and/or crushed peppermint candy