There is nothing more deliciously whimsical than these beautiful Candy Cane Christmas Cookies. They look like salt dough ornaments but taste like a candy cane.

I love flavorful sugar cookies with a twist, and these are just that. To make them even more Christmas-y, I substituted the almond extract with peppermint extract!

Ingredients

• ½ c. (1 stick) salted butter, softened 
• ½ c. shortening
• 1 c. sifted powdered sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tsp peppermint extract
• 2 ½ c. all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp. salt 
• Red food coloring
• Parchment paper
• Baking sheet

Baking Instructions

Using a stand mixer, mix together butter, shortening and powdered sugar. Add egg and vanilla extract until mixed well. Then add flour and salt until completely combined.

Remove half of the dough from the bowl and wrap in plastic wrap. Add peppermint extract and red food coloring to the remaining dough and mix until you get the desired color.

Wrap red dough in plastic wrap and chill both in fridge for at least 3 hours.

Once chilled, remove a small chunk of each color and form into balls. Press down and roll out the balls until they form long “ropes” of dough.

Pinch the red and white dough together on one end and then begin to twist/wrap them together.

Once wrapped, pinch the other ends together and shape into a candy cane.

Place the shaped cookies onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until slightly browned on the edges.