This cookie takes a bit more work but it is worth the efforts. If you don’t like using food dye this recipe is not for you, or you can make it without the dye. They are yummy and my original recipe called for crushed peppermint candy. Only the little kids enjoyed the crunch. The adults liked the peppermint extract taste over the candy crunch. The option is yours!

Base cookie recipe:

Ingredients:

1 cup of butter

1 ½ cup of sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

½ teaspoon of peppermint extract

5 cups of flour

½ t. of salt

1 t. of baking powder

1 t. of baking soda

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and then mix in vanilla, salt, baking powder and baking soda. You may want to sift the dry ingredients together – it is up to you. Add the flour. Incorporate well. This dough should be soft to the touch but not sticky. Divide the dough in two. Place ½ of the dough back into the mixer and add red food coloring. For a deeper red you will need to add more color. I use one-two teaspoons.

Optional – only add vanilla extract to the dough – then divide in two. Place the other half back in the mixer and add 1/4 teaspoon of peppermint extract. In this way, only half of the cookie is pepperminty! You can tint this half red.

If your cookie dough is too soft you may want to refrigerate it for an hour before using.

Take a teaspoon of white dough and roll out into a 6-8” rope. Repeat this with one teaspoon of the red cookie dough. Intertwine the ropes and bend the top to form a hook like a candy cane. Place it on a baking sheet leaving room as these cookies rise. For thinner canes roll your ropes thinner using less dough. However this may cause the cookie to break more easily.

Move to a wire rack to cool and then dip in plain white sugar or you can buy colored sugar or make your own. You may add food coloring to the sugar as well for a festive look, however this tends to stain hands!

Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. Adjust time if needed.