Candy Cane Cookies From Gold Medal Flour Recipes

CANDY CANE COOKIES

Steps:

• Stir together 1 cup sugar, the butter, milk, vanilla, peppermint extract and egg in large bowl. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt. Divide dough in half. Stir food color into 1 half. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours.
• Heat oven to 375°F.
• Stir together peppermint candy and 2 tablespoon sugar; set aside.
• For each candy cane, shape 1 rounded teaspoon dough from each half into 4-inch rope by rolling back and forth on floured surface. Place 1 red and white rope side by side; press together lightly and twist. Place on ungreased cookie sheet; curve top of cookie down to form handle of cane.
• Bake 9 to 12 minutes or until set and very light brown. Immediately sprinkle candy mixture over cookies. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.

CANDY CANE SPRITZ COOKIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F. In large bowl, beat butter, shortening and sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in egg. Stir in flour, baking powder, salt, peppermint extract and food color until mixed.
• Place dough in cookie press. Fit 1/2-inch star template in press. On ungreased large cookie sheets, press 15-inch lines of dough 3 inches apart. Score at 3-inch intervals. Pull top of dough into a curve, forming candy cane.
• Bake 5 to 7 minutes or until edges just start to brown. Immediately and carefully remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks; cool completely.
• Place waxed paper under cooling racks. In small resealable freezer plastic bag, place candy coating; seal bag. Microwave on High 1 minute or until softened. Gently squeeze bag until coating is smooth; cut off tiny corner of bag. Squeeze bag to pipe coating diagonally over each candy cane for striped effect. Move position of cookie before coating sets completely so coating doesn't adhere to cooling rack.

GLAZED CANDY CANE COOKIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (if using dark or nonstick cookie sheet, heat oven to 325°F). In large bowl, beat granulated sugar, 1 cup butter, the vanilla and egg with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Beat in flour.
• Divide dough into 9 pieces. On floured surface, shape each piece of dough into 16-inch rope, slightly less than 1/2 inch in diameter. Cut each rope into 4-inch lengths; place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bend 1 end of each cookie into candy cane shape.
• Bake 10 to 14 minutes or until bottoms are light golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely, about 20 minutes.
• In small bowl, stir together powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons butter, the syrup, milk and food color. Spread on top and sides of cookies; let stand until set before drizzling with melted white chips.
• In small resealable plastic food-storage bag, place white baking chips and oil; seal bag. Microwave on High 1 minute. Gently squeeze bag until chips are smooth. Cut off tiny corner of bag. Squeeze bag to make stripes on cookies to look like candy canes. Let stand until frosting is set before storing.