Minty fresh or warmly spiced? These chewy, festive candy cane cookies are perfect either way! Whether you go with classic mint or cozy cardamom, they’re cute enough to steal the show on any holiday dessert table❄️🕯️
Ingredients
- 125 g soft butter
- 1.25 dl (or ½ cup) sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp vanilla sugar
- 4 dl (or 2 cups) all-purpose flour
- Red jelly food coloring
- 1 tsp cardamom (or a couple drops of mint extract if you prefer that)
Directions
- Prepare the Dough: In a large bowl, mix the softened butter and caster sugar with an electric whisk until creamy and smooth.
- Add the egg and mix until combined.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Sift the flour and add it to the mixture in two batches, mixing until just combined.
- Add the vanilla sugar and cardamom (or mint extract, if using).
- If the dough feels too soft to handle, add an additional 2–3 tablespoons of flour for a firmer consistency.
- Color the Dough: Divide the dough into two equal portions. Add red food coloring to one portion and knead gently until the color is evenly distributed.
- Wrap both doughs in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
- Shape the Cookies: Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F).
- Roll out each dough into rectangular sheets of equal thickness and place one on top of the other.
- Cut the layered dough into 4 even strips.
- Roll each strip into a log, then carefully twist two logs of contrasting colors together to form a spiral.
- Shape each spiral into a candy cane and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 12–15 minutes, or until the edges are just lightly golden. Let the candy canes cool completely on a wire rack before serving.