Candy Cane Cookies

Most of us develop a strong desire to bake cookies for the holiday season.
I’ve noticed that even those who are not usually overcome with such an urge will at least venture into cookie baking with some form of pre-packaged mix or tubes of dough.
Each year I promise myself that the following year I will cut down on quantity and variety of cookies I will bake during this season.
It’s just no use making promises I can’t keep since visions of cookies are already dancing through my head when November shows up on the calendar.
Around this time of year I begin organizing favourites as well as adding new recipes of sweet morsels that will soon adorn a few cookie trays and fill a number of festive cookie tins.
I find that giving them away is as much fun as baking them therefore I am allowing myself to have some fun this holiday season also.
I have decided to restart my blog in the New Year but just can’t bear the thought of not sharing a few holiday cookie recipes.
So hard to choose which recipes but the finalists are recipes that are rather easy and inexpensive to make. Hope they become some of your favourites also!


Candy Cane Cookies

I sometimes get my favourite cookie recipes from the most unlikely places.
This recipe was printed on a Christmas card I received one year from a special friend. Each time I make these cookies she fondly comes to mind.

1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 cup confectioner's sugar (sift before measuring)
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon red food colouring
superfine sugar for rolling cookies in

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Using beater mix shortening, butter, sugar, egg and vanilla until well blended.
3. Sift flour and salt together on a sheet of wax paper then stir into shortening mixture.
4. Divide dough in half and blend red food colouring into one half of the dough.
5. Roll a 4 inch strip using about 1 teaspoon of dough from each colour. For smooth, even strips roll them back and forth on lightly floured board.
6. Place strips side by side, press lightly together and twist like a rope then lightly roll back and forth until the two ropes become one.
7. For best results, complete cookies one at a time to prevent strips from drying out and becoming too dry to twist.
8. Place on an ungreased or parchment lined baking sheet and curve top to form handle of cane.
9. Bake 9 to 12 minutes until lightly browned then leave on cookie sheets to firm up for 5 minutes.
   
10. While still warm roll in superfine sugar then place on rack to cool completely.
11. Yield about 3 dozen cookies.
    

Notes, Tips and Suggestions

• Green food colouring can be used instead of red.
• There is no baking powder or soda in this recipe in case you are wondering.
  
• Rolling the balls of dough with slightly water moistened hands makes it easier for the strips to stick together. I moisten a couple of paper towels with water then pat the palms of my hands on them before rolling the dough.
• If you use this method flouring the work surface for rolling will not be necessary
• Superfine sugar is also known as fruit sugar or caster sugar, do not use confectioner's sugar for rolling these cookies in.
• The recipe states a yield of 3 dozen cookies but I like to make them larger and make 2 dozen. Just use about two teaspoons of dough for each ball but make the ropes around 5 inches long.
  
• Be creative in the presentation of these cookies...it makes them even more special!