This is a recipe that I’ve grown up with. Every Christmas, my mother and sister and I would bake these cookies (along with sugar cookies, candies, and lots of other tasty treats).
Though I can’t eat them anymore (I’m sure I’ll make a good gluten free version of them sometime soon), I made them this year with Steve. We had a lot of fun baking together and he’s been enjoying eating them. Here’s the recipe:
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter softened 1/2 cup shortening 1 cup powdered sugar 1 egg 1 1/2 teaspoon almond extract 1 tsp vanilla 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp red food coloring 1/2 cup crushed peppermint candy 1/2 cup granulated sugarHeat oven to 375. Mix together the butter, shortening, powdered sugar, egg, and flavorings. Blend in the flour and salt. Divide dough in half, and blend the red food coloring into one half (while wearing your husband’s shirt, optional).
Shape one teaspoon dough from each half into four-inch ropes on a lightly-floured dough board.
Place ropes side-by-side, press together lightly, and twist.
Place the cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet, and curve the top of the cookies down to form the handle of the cane. Bake for about 9 minutes, or until set and very light brown.
Mix the candy and granulated sugar. Immediately sprinkle cookies with the candy mixture and remove them from the baking sheet. Let them cool, and enjoy!
