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Candy cane sugar cookies with crushed candy canes and white chocolate glaze. No need to roll out cookies, just scoop into balls and bake.

candy cane sugar cookies

Candy cane sugar cookies with white chocolate drizzle

We’re all dreaming about Christmas cookies for Santa this time of year, aren’t we? Santa can’t be the only one already thinking of endless plates of Christmas cookies! I’m ready for holiday parties and potlucks to return, and the general merriness that comes this time of year when no one declines dessert. It’s a dessert lover’s dream.

This is a basic drop sugar cookie recipe, meaning you don’t have to roll out the dough and cut it. You do have to roll it in balls in your hands, but I think you can manage that. It has a little cream of tartar to help keep the cookies chewy, just like my pumpkin snicker doodles. You can always omit cream of tartar when called for in a recipe, but it will adjust the cookie texture to be a little firmer.

candy cane sugar cookies recipe

How to make candy cane sugar cookies:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350, and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. 
  2. Beat together with an electric hand mixer the butter until it’s light and fluffy, about 15 seconds. Then, add the egg and peppermint extract and beat just to combine.
    candy cane sugar cookie dough
  3. Add the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Beat to combine, and finally add the crushed candy canes or peppermint candies. The dough has a double hit of peppermint with crushed candy canes and peppermint extract. Be sure to save 1 tablespoon of crushed peppermints for garnish. 
    peppermint sugar cookies

4. Press the dough mostly flat in the bowl, and then divide it in half by eye. Scoop six balls of dough from each half to get a total of 1 dozen peppermint cookies. Sprinkle the remaining crushed candy canes on top before baking for 10-12 minutes; the cookies are done when the edges are just starting to turn golden brown. Just a note that if the pieces of candy cane are too large, they will cause craters in the baked cookie–ensure it’s mostly powdery, as seen in the photos.
peppermint cookies

5. Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, and then transfer to a wire rack for drizzling white chocolate on top.

If you love these minty candy cane cookies with a double dose of peppermint, you would love my hot cocoa cookies or my chocolate thumbprints with marshmallow creme centers. Yay for candy cane season!

Yield: 12

Candy Cane Sugar Cookies

candy cane sugar cookies

Candy cane sugar cookies with a double dose of peppermint: peppermint extract and crushed candy canes with a white chocolate glaze.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
  • 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 2 candy canes, crushed

Optional white chocolate glaze:

  • 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
  • 1 teaspoon neutral oil

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  2. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
  3. In a large bowl, beat the butter for about 15 seconds to break it up, and then slowly stream in the sugar while continuing to beat.
  4. Next, add the egg and peppermint extract and beat until combined.
  5. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Add this in two increments to the wet ingredients, beating in between each session. Be careful not to over-mix.
  6. Finally, beat in the crushed candy canes, but save about 1 tablespoon of the candy canes for garnish. Ensure that your candy cane pieces are finely crushed, as large pieces of candy will cause craters in your final cookie
  7. Divide the dough in half by eye in your bowl, and aim to get 6 cookies out of each half. Roll each dough in your hands to make a neat ball. Place the cookies on the cookie sheet evenly spaced. Sprinkle the reserved crushed candy cane on top of each.
  8. Bake for 10-12 minutes. The cookies are done when the edges are starting to turn light golden brown. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack.
  9. To make the white chocolate glaze, combine the chocolate and oil in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on 50% power in 20 second pulses until the chocolate melts. Stir between each pulse. Drizzle each cookie with glaze before serving.

Notes

I prefer peppermint extract for baking instead of mint extract. Mint extract can taste a bit like toothpaste. Peppermint extract should be easy to find around the holidays.

If you lack candy canes, use regular round peppermints.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 137Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 30mgSodium: 88mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 0gSugar: 14gProtein: 1g

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Cuisine: American / Category: Cookies and Bars

 

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