#handcraftededibles ~ Candy Cane Cookies






In an effort to make all of my holiday gifts this year, we are sharing recipes for hand-crafted edibles. Over the course of twelve weeks, we'll be sharing recipes that you can make at home to give to friends and loved ones, or things to serve at holiday parties. It's hard to believe we're at week 11. We hope you'll follow along for inspiration. You can find out more information, including the schedule: here.

This week, we are bringing you inspiration for your holiday cookie trays. Have you started with you holiday baking yet? I've been baking a LOT the past couple weeks - and I'm certainly not done yet!


These candy cane cookies are such a classic and festive treat to add to any cookie tray you may be considering assembling. They have a lovely touch of peppermint flavoring, and the dough is very simple and straightforward to create. The dough is also very heat sensitive and must be chilled thoroughly to make handling possible since you have to work with it a fair amount to shape the pieces and twist them. You can make this dough as much as three days in advance and keep it stored in your refrigerator until you're ready to work with it!

Thanks to these gals and their creative cookie ideas...
Next week - week 12 and our final week - is all about wrapping. How to label those jarred mixes, how to mail cookies safely, and lots more!



Don't forget to check out our #handcraftededibles pinterest board.

Candy Cane Cookies from The Kitchn
Makes 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon red food coloring

Directions
  1. Cream together the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment it looks soft and frosting-like. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then mix in the egg, vanilla, and peppermint. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again and with the mixer on low speed, mix in the flour and salt just until no more visible flour remains.
  2. Use a stiff spatula to mix the dough a few times by hand to work in any last bits of flour if needed. Divide the dough in half and set one piece aside. Add 1/2 teaspoon of red food coloring to the remaining dough and work the dye into the dough gently with the spatula. Add additional food coloring if needed to achieve a bright, vibrant red.
  3. Wrap each piece of dough in saran wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, and up to 3 days (this is VERY fragile dough that needs to be chilled before handling).
  4. When ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking tray with a sil pat / baking mat.
  5. Remove both pieces of dough from the fridge and unwrap. Pinch off about 1 TBS of dough from each color, gently roll into a long thin strip (about 4 - 5 inches in length, and make sure each piece of dough is about the same size and thickness). Pinch the ends together and gently twist the dough around each other until it looks like a candy cane. Curve the top to look like a cane. (I suggest doing the cookie prep on the sil pat so you don't have to transfer the cookie once assembled). 
  6. Repeat with the remaining dough. If the dough starts to break as you roll it or become hard to work with, put it back in the fridge to chill for 15 minutes. When enough cookies have been shaped to fill a sheet, return the remaining dough the refrigerator and if you'd like to help ensure your cookies hold their shape, chill the prepared cookies for 15 minutes before baking.
  7. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the bottom edges and the tips of the cookies are just barely starting to turn golden. Cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to cooling racks to finish cooling completely.
  8. Repeat process until all dough is used.
  9. Store cookies between layers of wax paper in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.


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