Holiday Treats!

As in LOTS of families out there we make cookies, candy, sweets and the like traditionally each year for the holidays and I would love to put some of these down in writing for my kids. So to start and get them somewhere safe I'm going to post a recipe for one of the goodies each day till Yule. Some may be our traditional (Grandmother's recipe) and some may be a variation I get off the Internet but I hope all will be good! Hopefully at the end of this there will be 15 different recipes for sweets.

The 1st: Candy Cane Twists (we didn't make these every year but I do remember making them more than once and they're a great kid friendly cookie!)

Candy Cane Twists!

Ingredients:

1 cp unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cp sugar

1 large egg

1 1/2 tsps vanilla extract

1 tsp peppermint extract

1/4 tsp salt

2 1/2 cps flour

1/2 tsp red food coloring

1/2 tsp green food coloring (this is opt. we usually only made red and white candy canes)

1. Using an electric mixer set on med-hi speed, cream the butter. Continue beating and gradually add the sugar.

2. Beat in the egg until evenly mixed, then add the vanilla extract, peppermint extract, and the salt, and blend well.

3. Use a wooden spoon to stir in the flour, one third at a time, until evenly mixed.

4. Divide the dough into thirds. (Or 1/2 if just using red and white) Add the red food coloring to one third (or half) and the green food coloring to another (or not at all), then knead into the dough. Flatten each third (or half) into a 1/2-inch-thick rectangle, cover it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, about 30 mins.

5. Heat the oven to 375*. On a lightly floured surface, roll a pair of tablespoon sized pieces of contrasting colored dough into 8-inch long ropes. Twist them together, pinch the ends, then bend the cookies into a candy cane shape. Repeat with the remaining dough.

6. Bake the cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet until set but NOT brown, about 10 mins, rotating the sheet halfway through. Cool the sheets on a wire rack for 5 mins, then transfer the cookies to the rack to continue cooling.

Fun for the kids to help make! Yum!