Iced Candy Cane Sugar Cookies

Do you have time for one more Christmas cookie recipe?  So many cookies to share, so little time, but I had to squeeze these in.  These candy cane cookies and I go way back.  The recipe comes from my grandma (my dad’s mom), who made these for her grandchildren when we would come visit her at Christmas time.  They are a labor of love, and they take a bit of attention to detail in order to get them just so.

And even though I follow the recipe as exactly as I can, they never quite have the same shape as when my grandma makes them.  I guess I just don’t have quite the same “touch” as she does.  But I love making them anyway.

I won’t be able to visit my grandma for Christmas this year (she lives about 7 hours away), and making these iced candy cane sugar cookies makes me think of her and all my precious Christmas memories with my dad’s side of the family.  Merry Christmas to you sweet family!

One more thing I want to share with you before I let you go.  One tradition we have in our little family is reading Christmas stories.  We have collected twenty-four children’s Christmas books, and every year I wrap them all up, number them, and we read one together every night before the boys go to bed.  My very favorite one in our collection is a beautifully written and illustrated book called Song of the Stars, by Sally Lloyd-Jones.  It recounts the Christmas Story from the perspective of all creation– from stars, to trees, to robins, and flowers.  I especially love this line as it portrays the breathless anticipation of the whole universe:

“It’s time! It’s time!… The One who made us has come to live with us!”

In the hustle and bustle of these last couple of days, I’m intentionally pondering that thought and what it means for me today.

Wishing you peace and joy as you gather and celebrate with those you love.  Merry Christmas to you sweet friends!

Iced Candy Cane Sugar Cookies

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• Author: Julie
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 24 cookies 1x
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Bake
• Cuisine: American

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Description

My sweet grandma’s trademark Christmas cookie – red and white sugar cookie dough is twisted together and shaped into cute little candy canes!

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Ingredients

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• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 cup sifted powdered sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups sifted flour
• 1 teaspoon salt

Icing

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1–2 tablespoon milk
• Red decorating sugar

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together butter, shortening, and powdered sugar on low speed.
3. Add the egg and vanilla, and mix until well incorporated.
4. In a separate bowl mix together flour and salt, and then gradually add them to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until a smooth dough is formed.
5. Remove half of the dough from the mixing bowl, and set aside. To the dough remaining in the bowl, add a few drops of red food coloring and mix to distribute.
6. Form 24 teaspoon sized balls of each color of dough.
7. Roll each ball into a four inch tube, and pair them side by side on an ungreased baking sheet.
8. Twist the red and white dough together and form into a candy cane shape.
9. Bake for 10-12 minutes, and remove the cookies to cool on a cooking rack.
10. Whisk powdered sugar and milk together until a smooth glaze is formed. Spoon over cooled cookies, and sprinkle with red decorating sugar.

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Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 Cookie
• Calories: 169
• Sugar: 11g
• Sodium: 122mg
• Fat: 8.5g
• Saturated Fat: 4.2g
• Unsaturated Fat: 3.7g
• Trans Fat: 0.2g
• Carbohydrates: 22g
• Fiber: 0.3g
• Protein: 1.7g
• Cholesterol: 20mg

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