Peppermint Twist Candy Cookies
- Level: Easy
- Yield: About 2 dozen cookies
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 24 servings
- Calories
- 261
- Total Fat
- 9
- Saturated Fat
- 5
- Carbohydrates
- 45
- Dietary Fiber
- 0
- Sugar
- 34
- Protein
- 2
- Cholesterol
- 36
- Sodium
- 103
- Total: 2 hr 25 min
- Active: 25 min
Ingredients
Cookies:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for flouring work surface
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
2 large eggs
Royal Icing:
4 cups confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons meringue powder
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
Red food coloring, for tinting icing
1/4 cup crushed peppermint candies
Directions
Special equipment:
a candy cane cookie cutter (about 3 1/2 inches by 2 inches)- For the cookies: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. In a separate large bowl using an electric mixer, beat together the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar, mixing until pale yellow and fluffy, 3 minutes. Add in the peppermint extract and eggs and mix well. Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix well.
- Transfer the dough to a floured work surface, divide into two disks, wrap in plastic and chill in the refrigerator for about an hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Working with one disk at a time, roll out the dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out candy cane shapes with the cookie cutter and place the cookies about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Re-roll the scraps to get as many cookies as possible, returning the dough to the refrigerator to chill if necessary.
- Bake just until the edges start to brown, 10 to 12 minutes. (Bake one sheet at a time for even cooking and browning). Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and let cool.
- For the royal icing: In the bowl of a stand mixer using a whisk attachment, combine the confectioners' sugar and meringue powder and mix for 30 seconds. Add 1/3 cup water and the peppermint extract and continue mixing on low until the icing forms peaks, 8 to 10 minutes. Adjust the consistency of the icing with additional water if necessary.
- Set aside some of the icing in a small bowl and add enough food coloring until the desired shade of red is reached.
- Ice the cookies with the white icing and let dry completely. Decorate with the red icing and crushed candies to make a candy cane pattern.