Peppermint Candy Cane Christmas Cookies

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Peppermint Candy Cane Christmas Cookies

Prepare peppermint glaze and spoon over still slightly warm cookies. This step is optional, but I love the pretty sheen and the light touch of sweetness. Since this cookie dough is not overly sweet, it benefits from a little something extra. If you are planning on storing these cookies or giving them as gifts and don’t want to use the glaze, try sprinkling with sugar or crushed peppermint before baking to add that extra sweetness.

Ingredients

  • 2 sticks of butter, at room temperature
  • 1 cup of powdered sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon of pure peppermint extract
  • 3 cups of all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon of salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon of red food coloring
  • For the glaze
  • 1 cup of powdered sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon of peppermint extract
  • 1-2 tablespoons of milk

Instructions

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine butter and powdered sugar until fluffy.
  2. Add egg, vanilla and peppermint extract, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
  3. Reduce mixer speed and add flour and salt, mixing until well combined.
  4. Divide dough in half.
  5. In the bowl of the stand mixer, combine 1/2 the cookie dough with red food coloring.
  6. Shape cookie dough into disc and cover tightly with plastic wrap.
  7. Refrigerate one hour or up to overnight.
  8. Once dough has chilled, preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  9. Measure one tablespoon of each color dough and gently roll into 6 inch long log shapes.
  10. Twist cookie dough together and transfer to parchment paper or silpat lined baking sheet.
  11. Chill shaped cookie dough for 15 minutes before baking.
  12. Bake 10-12 minutes, or until bottoms of cookies are a very light golden brown.
  13. While the cookies are baking, prepare peppermint glaze. Spoon over cookies after they have cooled slightly.
Peppermint Candy Cane Christmas Cookies
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