Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies: family favorites

Welcome to our Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies link up! For the next two weeks, join us every day and add your favorite cookie recipe for that day’s theme. Please follow Lisa and I and check out some new blogs! Happy baking!

I have mentioned repeatedly that, in my house, the red Betty Crocker cookbook is pretty much the go-to cookie bible. The recipes in it are tried and true, and almost never fail (occasional failures due to baker error, not the recipe!) - my mom has been using the same recipes for over 30 years, and I've been helping for over 25 years. Now, those same recipes are the ones I use in my house, and will pass on to my kiddos, eventually!

This Christmas classic is a family favorite. It is a bit of a labor of love, and we don't make them so much anymore because they are time-consuming - but they were always a top request from my sister and I when we were little, and my mom always indulged us. They are delicious!

Candy Cane Cookies
from Betty Crocker
Makes 4 dozen cookies (or so!)

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 1 egg
• 3 1/2 cups Gold Medal all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon red food color
• 2 tablespoons finely crushed peppermint candies
• 2 tablespoons sugar

Directions 

1. Stir together 1 cup sugar, the butter, milk, vanilla, peppermint extract and egg in large bowl. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt. Divide dough in half. Stir food color into 1 half. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours. 
2. Heat oven to 375ºF. 
3. Stir together peppermint candy and 2 tablespoon sugar; set aside. 
4. For each candy cane, shape 1 rounded teaspoon dough from each half into 4-inch rope by rolling back and forth on floured surface. Place 1 red and white rope side by side; press together lightly and twist. Place on ungreased cookie sheet; curve top of cookie down to form handle of cane. 
5. Bake 9 to 12 minutes or until set and very light brown. Immediately sprinkle candy mixture over cookies. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.