Candy Cane Cookies
Recipe for two-tone cane-shaped cookies
The recipe for candy cane cookies is not only tasty but also exceptionally charming baked goods that surprise with their two-tone appearance imitating candy canes. These buttery cookies not only pamper the palate but also delight with their aesthetics, resembling sweet, colorful holiday treats. The simple recipe makes preparing these unique cookies easy for everyone – even children. So be sure to try this recipe and bake these sweet candy canes for the holidays!
Table of content
Candy Cane Cookies recipe step by step
If you like simple shortbread butter cookies, but want to surprise everyone with their unique appearance, then bake these cookies!
Sugar cane cookies recipe with video
Składniki
ingredients for candy cane cookies
- 230 g butter (soft)
- 150 g powdered sugar (1 cup)
- 1 egg (size L)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla (or other flavoring)
- 375 g wheat flour – all-purpose (sifted – 2.5 cups)
- approx 1 teaspoon red food coloring
Instrukcja
How to make candy cane sugar cookies
- Mix the butter with powdered sugar and vanilla until fluffy – mix for several minutes.230 g butter, 150 g powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Add the egg, one tablespoon of flour, and mix briefly.1 egg
- Add part of the flour and mix until combined.375 g wheat flour – all-purpose
- If the mixture becomes too thick, change the mixer attachments to dough hooks.
- Add the rest of the flour in portions and mix until combined.
- Divide the dough into two equal portions – it’s best to weigh them – mine each had 400 g.
- Set aside one portion of dough and wrap it in plastic wrap.
- Add red food coloring to the remaining dough and mix thoroughly.
- Wrap the red dough in plastic wrap and place both doughs in the refrigerator for about an hour – to chill.
- Divide the chilled dough into small portions – for me, it was 40 pieces of each color – keep them in the refrigerator.
- Take a few pieces of each color – roll them into balls, then into elongated ropes.
- Intertwine one light and one red rope.
- Gently roll the dough so that the ropes combine into one piece.
- Arrange the cookie on the prepared baking sheet, shaping it like a candy cane – leave slight gaps.
- Bake the candy cane cookies in an oven preheated to 180 degrees (top/bottom heat mode) for about 11-13 minutes.
- After baking, cool the cookies and only then carefully remove them from the baking sheet (they are still slightly soft at first).
Film
Uwagi
Wartości Odżywcze
Candy Cane Cookies
During the Christmas season in the United States and England, sweet cane-shaped sugar lollipops are very popular. They are usually white and red, and sometimes with the addition of green. These charming holiday sweets are also becoming very popular here thanks to all the Christmas movies and commercials. For me, these candies themselves are okay, but as they say, “nothing special,” and instead of eating them, I prefer to use them as decoration. They look great in holiday photos :) However, it’s a completely different story with cookies that are inspired by such holiday canes. They look just as charming and are better for eating!
I made my two-tone cookies using a recipe from the Imperial Sugar website, but I changed it a little bit. First of all, I baked my cookies with vanilla flavor, instead of the more traditional mint. Mint flavor is not among my favorites, and I only tolerate it in chewing gum and toothpaste ;)
Essential ingredients for two-tone cookies
To prepare these cookies, you won’t need any complicated ingredients – well, maybe except for food coloring. All other ingredients are very basic and generally available. Below is a condensed list and possible substitutes:
- butter – I used extra butter with 82% fat content for the cookies; you can substitute it with vegetable butter.
- wheat flour – any flour of types 450, 500, or 550 can be used here. Sift the flour through a sieve before adding it to the cookie dough.
- flavoring – I added vanilla flavoring to the dough, but you can use any other – e.g., almond, orange, or even mint.
- food coloring – I used red food coloring to color the dough. It’s best to use gel or powder food coloring here – I do not recommend liquid food coloring, as it can too strongly affect the consistency of the dough.
Can food coloring in cookies be replaced?
If you cannot buy food coloring anywhere, or do not want to consume it, you can add a teaspoon of bitter cocoa to the dough instead. Then you will get candy cane cookies in light and brown colors. They will surely be just as charming and delicious.
Preparing candy cane-shaped cookies – tips
I won’t hide the fact that a kitchen scale is very helpful in preparing these cookies. I can no longer imagine baking without a scale. The ability to accurately measure ingredients is invaluable help, and thanks to it, I am always sure that my baked goods will turn out well. So, if you haven’t bought a kitchen scale yet, I highly recommend purchasing one.
For these cookies, a scale is very useful for dividing the dough evenly. First, I divided the dough into two parts, and then after chilling, I divided each of them into smaller portions – each about 10g. This way, I got 40 portions of white dough and 40 portions of red dough.
It’s best to take the dough out of the refrigerator in portions so that it doesn’t get too warm and soft. To make the candy cane cookies, start by rolling small balls from the dough. Then roll them into thinner ropes. Twist one light and one red rope together – it’s best to do this on a countertop – it doesn’t need to be specially floured. And finally, gently roll the cookie, lightly pressing it, so that the ropes even out. That’s it. Just place the rope on a baking sheet, bending one end so that the cookie looks like a candy cane.
I’ll also suggest that while preparing the cookies, it’s worth washing your hands every few pieces, because they get stained by the red dough, and this can cause you to start coloring the light pieces of dough.
How to bake candy cane cookies?
I baked my cookies in batches – first I prepared one tray of cookies, put it into the oven preheated to 180 degrees (top/bottom mode) and baked for about 12 minutes. During this time, I made the second batch of cookies. The cookies are still soft right after baking, so they should not be moved then; they need to be allowed to cool. Then they will harden and become crispy. Only then can they be removed from the baking sheet. You can also bake the cookies with convection – then lower the oven temperature to 170 degrees.
How to store candy cane cookies?
It’s best to store the cookies in an airtight container with a lid. Due to their beautiful appearance, you can transfer them to a large glass jar with a lid and place it in a visible spot. They will make a beautiful Christmas decoration. The cookies can be safely stored for several weeks, if not longer! Therefore, you can bake them in advance and have delicious and beautiful cookies ready for Christmas.
You can also freeze them – then transfer them to an airtight, thick bag and put them in the freezer. They can safely stay in the freezer for about 3 months.
I hope my photos and detailed recipe have convinced you to bake these charming cookies! If so, I would be very happy if you share your impressions in the comments under the recipe.
By the way, I highly recommend trying my other Christmas recipes – you can see my compilation of 60 Christmas cake recipes, where I selected recipes for cheesecakes, poppy seed cakes, cheesecake-poppy seed cakes, gingerbreads, cream cakes, cupcakes, and cookies perfect for the holidays. This will surely make it easier to find the perfect recipe for yourself.
Recommended recipes for Christmas cookies
Also try my other recipes for delicious cookies perfect for Christmas. Here I recommend, among others, these three recipes:
Popularne Przepisy
Polecane przepisy
Candy Cane Cookies Recipe
Today, I invite you to try these classic American-style Christmas cookies. These two-tone cookies, shaped like candy canes, are deeply rooted in pop culture. The cookies themselves are very easy to make, though they do require a little bit of time. I think children would be more than happy to help out with the process—rolling out the dough ropes and twisting them together can be great fun! As for the taste, they are delicious: crunchy, buttery, and delicately sweet.
Be sure to try this recipe. Check out my step-by-step photos or watch my short preparation video to make these two-tone cookies for your family. Candy cane cookies also make a wonderful gift idea—just wrap them up beautifully and give them to someone special!
