Turning Dough into Candy Canes

Remember this day? 

When Violet helped mix Cookies?

Finally, last night I had time to turn them into these.

Candy Cane Cookies all stacked on top of each other.

The recipe comes Better Homes and Gardens Homemade Cookie Cook Book.

I changed it up a bit and use vanilla or almond flavoring  in the white dough 

and peppermint in the red part of the dough. (I omit the 1/3 cup flaked coconut.)

This is how Better Homes and Gardens' cookies look.

It bugs me that after making the individual red and white ropes, 

they don't roll them together so that it's one smooth cookie.

But they do a better job getting that dough a nice shade of red.

No matter how the cookies look they taste good.   

If you would like to try them, here's the recipe as I make it. 

Candy Cane Cookies

3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

red food coloring 

(the paste color bought at cake decorating places or Micheal  is much better than the liquid form.  The liquid food coloring only makes pink not red.)

Cream first four ingredients. Add dry ingredients.

Divide dough in half and add red and peppermint extract to half. 

Cover and chill for 30 minutes.

Roll a spoonful of dough into a ball and then into a 5 inch rope of each color.  Roll the two ropes together to make one rope. Twist to make swirling pattern. Shape into a cane on ungreased cookie sheet. 

Bake at 375 degrees about 10 minutes. 

NOTE:  I have to use just the slightly dusting of flour to get the dough from sticking to my hands and counter when rolling.  Too much and the two ropes do not stick together.  

Merry Christmas!

Linda