25 Days of Christmas | Candy Cane Twists Cookies Recipe

Thanks to Heather Tallman of Basilmomma for this 25 Days of Christmas post.

You know, I make no secret of the fact that I am not a good baker. I am not crafty, I am not a scrapbooker, I am not a good decorator. These things I am not. I am OK with this. I do not feel like I am missing out by not making dozens of Martha-like cookies every holiday season that are perfectly iced and decorated.

If you are one of those people who can make a cookie recipe from start to finish without a catastrophe and they come out of the oven perfect then I raise my glass to you. I will probably try to buy them from you even. But I am not ever going to reach that level of expertise. And I am fine with that. I try and that counts, right?

Now , my kids saw this cookie recipe in a Family Fun cookbook a few years ago and I have saved it all this time. I thought I would surprise them and make them Monday night. I also wanted to use them for an upcoming column in the Greenwood Daily Journal so I had a dual purpose here.

4 puffy, overcooked batches later I finally refined the recipe to turn out perfectly and they are now a tradition every Christmas.

Candy Cane Twists Recipe

Ingredients

3/4 C unsalted butter, softened
1 C sugar
1 LG egg
1 tsp peppermint extract
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/4 C all-purpose flour
red food coloring

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Add the egg and beat well. Stir in the peppermint and vanilla. Gradually mix in the flour until combined.

Divide the dough into 2 equal parts and work the red food coloring into 1/2 until you reach the desired redness. To shape the canes roll a small amount into a ball and then roll with your hands to a cylinder. Do the same for a piece of red. Twist the 2 pcs. together and pinch the ends to form a candy cane shape. Continue to do this with the rest of the dough. Place on the cookie sheet 2 inches apart and bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until set but not brown.

About the Author: Heather Tallman is a Greenwood area blogger, food writer, newspaper columnist, television hist and host of Around the Kitchen Sink Radio on Toginet.com. You can find her at basilmomma.com, @Basilmomma on Twitter and Basilmomma on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.