Christmas Cookie Day 4

 This was my second cookie I made at the exchange.

Candy Cane Cookie

Makes about 30

1 cup butter or margarine
1 cup sifted confectioners sugar
1 egg
1-1/2 teaspoon almond flavoring OR 3/4 teaspoon peppermint flavoring
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup crushed peppermint candy
1/2 cup white sugar

Preheat oven to 375 F. Mix butter sugar, egg, and flavorings thoroughly. Add flour and salt, Mix well. Shape dough into a disk and wrap with plastic wrap; chill for at least 2 hours or until easy to handle. Roll into 4 inch strips; place on baking sheet. Curve top down to form handle or cane. Bake 9 minutes. While still warm, remove from pan and sprinkle with candy and sugar mixture.

Dough may be divided in half and colored with 1/2 teaspoon red food coloring if desired. Roll each color into strips, place side by side, press together lightly and twist like a rope.

Where to begin.  This recipe needs tweaking.  The dough was hard to work with.  First when I make this again I will use 1/2 cup regular 1/2 powdered sugar. I think that might help.  I forgot the vanilla which it needs and I would increase the peppermint to a teaspoon.  I also put the crushed candy canes on before baking and I did not mix it with sugar and it needs the sugar and putting it on before is a bad idea.  I don't get how they say it makes 30 cookies?  It does not make very many which was not good for a cookie exchange.  The children at the exchange really like the look of this cookie.  If I go next year, I will make a double batch of this dough as soon as I get there and let the the kids have at it.

There is also a picture of Lisa's Shortbread cookie.  I will blog about that one later.