Candy Cane Cookies: In
a bowl, whisk
the flour
with the salt.
In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a
hand mixer), beat the butter and sugar until creamy. Add the egg
yolks and vanilla and almond extracts and beat until
combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the flour mixture, in three additions, and beat until you have a smooth
dough.
Remove half of the
dough from the mixing bowl. To the remaining half add the red food coloring and
beat on low speed until well blended. If you find the dough too soft, cover and
refrigerate for about 30-60 minutes.
Take a walnut
sized piece of red dough and a walnut sized piece of white dough. Separately
roll each color, on a lightly floured surface, into a 4-5 inch (10-12.5 cm) long
rope. Place the two ropes side by side, gently press together, and twist the two
ropes to form a spiral. Place the cookies on a parchment
lined baking sheet, spacing the cookies about 2 inches (5 cm) apart. Shape each cookie into a cane shape by bending one end into
a hook shape. (If you find the cookies a little soft, place the baking sheet
(with unbaked cookies) in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes before baking.)
Preheat oven to
375 degrees F (190 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven.
Bake cookies for about 8-10 minutes
or until set and the edges of the cookies are just starting to brown. Do
not over bake. Remove
from oven and let cookies cool completely on baking sheet. Cover and store in an
airtight container for about one week. These cookies can be frozen.
Makes about 30
cookies. |