This recipe for Twisted Peppermint Cane Cane cookies is especially for my close neighbors, friends, and family that have taken home these cute, twisted, minty sugar-coated cookies over the years.  Peppermint Candy Cane cookies are light and creamy, sweet and delicious.  They are fun to create and even more fun to eat.   

Is it just me or is the minty flavor equated with Christmas?  I love minty hot cocoa, using cute candy canes as stir sticks and mint extracts in chocolate crinkle cookies too.

I’m reminiscing about baking, cookie swap parties, and especially about the sweet little red cookie cookbook where I look up this cookie recipe each December.  When I say this cookbook is little, I’m not kidding!  This cookbook is made for elves!  it’s itsy bitsy, teenie weenie measuring in at 2 inches by 3 inches.  Given how tiny it is, it is an absolute miracle I’ve managed not to lose it over all these years.  The copyright in the book says 1993.  My tiny red Christmas Cookie book is over 25 years old.

Many years ago I tried to re-order this book to share as gifts to no avail – I’m fairly certain it’s out of print. Here is all the info I have on it: “The Christmas Treasury Christmas Cookies, A Thomas Nelson Book”, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, copyright 1993 by Michael Friedman Publishing Group, Inc.  If you are reading this and you have any leads, please let me know in the comments!

I held on to my little cookie cookbook through each of our California moves… and there were a few before we settled down.  This home is the one our girls (now young adults!) will remember – where they went all through school, had pets, friends, family, and holidays.  The cookie exchange has been an annual gathering close to every year we’ve been here. 

Twisted candy cane peppermint cookies have always been part of our annual tradition.

 The red stand mixer was gifted to me by Bob and the girls for my 51st birthday this year. “Bita’s Birthday Blender” – say that 5 times fast 😉

Simple ingredients for Twisted Peppermint Candy Cane Cookies:

• 2 1/2 cups of white flour
• one cup of confectioners sugar
• two sticks of butter
• plus a couple of extracts including peppermint

Once you make the dough, divide it in half and dye one half either red or green.

A cute photo I saved off OvenHug’s Instagram stories.

Hopefully, this gives you a visual of how you divide the dough, color one half, and cover it with plastic wrap to refrigerate.

After the dough has chilled, ball up small pieces, roll them out long, and put one white snake and one red snake side by side.  Gently twist the canes.  That’s the fun part and the part that is time-consuming.  I recruit the family to help ball, roll, and twist.

I downloaded my video clips from OvenHug’s Instagram stories and put them together here-

Serving suggestion:  Twisted Candy Cane Christmas Cookies are delicious with a steamy cup of hot cocoa or Mulled Apple Cider! 

marshmallows optional 😉

Since my little red book and I won’t last forever, I’d like to share the words in the Introduction of this cute cookbook here:

“Introduction

There is perhaps no better way to bring the spirit of the Christmas season into your home than by preparing home-made cookies.  The delicious fragrance of cookies baking in the oven is indeed a signal that the holiday season has begun.  Baking Christmas cookies is both enjoyable and relaxing, and it is an activity that can be even more fun and memorable when shared with a friend or with children.  Children love to help bake cookies, and often times, they can make their very own.

Homemade cookies also make perfect Christmas presents.  They make personal, thoughtful gifts, because they are made with tender, loving care and are given from the heart.  Rather than buying another gift-wrapped package from the department store, why not show how much you care by spending your time and talent creating something special.  And people of all ages are certain to enjoy your special gift.  It’s hard to think of anyone who doesn’t like homemade cookies…”  A direct excerpt from -“The Christmas Treasury Christmas Cookies, A Thomas Nelson Book”, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, copyright 1993 by Michael Friedman Publishing Group, Inc.

Now that you are in the mood for cookies, be sure to check out this great recipe for perfect gingerbread cookies including piping tips here:  RECIPE

Almost too cute to eat!

Another classic cookie recipe is Easy Cut Out Cookies.

Twisted peppermint candy cane peppermint cookies make a pretty and fun addition to an assorted cookie plate!

Yield: 4 dozen

Twisted Peppermint Candy Cane Cookies

Print

Minty, buttery, and cute - Twisted Minty Candy Cane Cookies are an annual tradition in our home. We like to bake enough to share with family and friends. Spoiler alert - they are not gluten free or vegan. They are simply delicious.

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes

Total Time 42 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I have converted to whole wheat pastry flour)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter, softened to room temp
• 1 cup confectioner's sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Red food coloring

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Blend flour and salt in a small bowl or blender. In a large bowl,
3. beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Beat in egg and extracts well, then stir in flour and salt.
5. Divide the dough in half and color one half with 8 drops of red food coloring; refrigerate, wrapped in plastic wrap, for a minimum of a 1/2 hour and up to 2 hours.
6. Working with 1 teaspoon of dough at a time, form 5 inch long, pencil thin cylinders of each color. Twist one cylinder of each color together to look like a a candy cane.
7. Bake 12 to 15 minutes.
8. Cool on racks

Notes

Recipe notes:  Do not make these cookies if you are in a hurry!  Although they are not hard to make, there is some crafting involved.  It requires time and patience.  Get the hot mulled cider going, turn on some holiday tunes, and take your time.  Remember the goal is not to be perfect.  Enjoy the process.  

An optional step is to roll the twisted cookies in colored sugar crystal sprinkles before baking.  Crushed candy canes can also be used in the same way.  If you feel like being fancy you can dip the ends in melted chocolate, sprinkle with candy cane bits, or try using white icing along with the stripes.  You may also choose to do something unique like choose an alternate color to the red for the stripes.