Candy Cane Cookies
/I love these cookies during the holidays, not only because they are fun to make and delicious, but also because they come from my grandmother’s Cooky Book by Betty Crocker, copyright 1963. The recipes in this book are detailed and often complicated, with ingredients such as lard, and simple line drawings in lieu of the rich photography we are accustomed to now.
My children have photocopies of their favorites and make them with their children. The joy of rolling out red and white “snakes” and then twisting them into candy canes is contagious. We made this year’s batch with gluten-free flour, which changed the consistency of the dough and caused them to break more often…still yummy!
Candy Cane Cookies
Ingredients:
1 cup shortening (I use unsalted butter)
1 cup sifted confectioners’ sugar (aka powdered sugar)
1 egg
1.5 tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla
2.5 cups Gold Medal Flour (it is a Betty Crocker book, after all)
1 tsp salt
½ tsp red food coloring
½ cup crushed peppermint candy (last year's candy canes work for me)
½ cup granulated sugar
Instructions:
Pre-heat oven to 375.
Mix shortening, sugar, egg, and flavorings thoroughly.
Measure flour by dipping method or by sifting.
Mix flour and salt; stir into shortening mixture.
Divide dough in half. Blend food coloring into one half.
For best results, complete cookies one at a time – if all the dough of one color is shaped first, strips become too dry to twist.
Roll one 4” strip (using 1 tsp dough) from each color. For smooth, even strips, roll them back and forth on a lightly floured board (I use parchment paper).
Place strips side by side, press one end lightly together and twist like rope. Press the other end together. Curve top down to form handle of cane.
Place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for about 9 minutes until lightly browned.
While still warm, remove from baking sheet with spatula and sprinkle with mixture of crushed candy and sugar.
Makes about 3 dozen canes.
