Candy Cane Cookies Recipe With Gift Wrapping

Recipe by Food Network Magazine

Time: 3 hours
Makes: about 30 cookies

Ingredients

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup superfine sugar, plus more for rolling
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon pure peppermint extract (optional)
2 cups all-purpose flour
Red sanding sugar

Instructions

1. Beat the butter, superfine sugar, and salt in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the egg, vanilla extract, and peppermint extract. Reduce the mixer speed to low, and beat in the flour until incorporated. Transfer the dough to a piece of plastic wrap, and pat into a rectangle; tightly wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour and up to overnight.

2. Spread some red sanding sugar and superfine sugar on separate plates. Gently roll heaping teaspoonful’s of dough into short logs with your hands. Roll half of the logs, one at a time, in red sanding sugar to form 4-inch strands. Repeat with the remaining logs and the superfine sugar.

3. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Twist 1 strand of each color together, then arrange on the prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart, and bend the tops to form candy canes. Refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350°F.

4. Bake, switching the pans halfway through, until cookies are set and lightly browned around the edges, 11 to 13 minutes. Let cool completely on the baking sheets.  

Gift-Wrapping Instructions

1. Remove the lid from a plastic box. Wrap strips of red-and-white-striped washi tape horizontally around the lower two-thirds of the box, lining up the tape for a continuous pattern. The strips of tape should touch but not overlap.

2. Stand cookies up inside the box, and replace the lid. Wrap the box with ribbon, tying a bow at the top.

3. Hot-glue a mini candy cane to a red gift tag. Tie the tag to the bow with string.