Day 10: CCC - Candy Cane cookies

I just love Candy Canes. I love how they look, how they taste and how they even smell. So I decided to make Candy Cane Cookies. I made these, well not exactly these, the first time 2 years ago, but at that time I used a recipe by Sandra Lee(insert shame face here). At that time I didn't knew who she was(German gal here) and I liked the recipe, but all this changed, when I saw a video on Youtube of her "famous" Kwanzaa cake http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrQbWeNQpiA.

Oh boy, let's just say "Ewwwwwwwww", that was really so disgusting to look at. And right after this I threw the recipe away. 
Well, this year I wanted to make Candy Cane Cookies again, and I searched for a good recipe, but wasn't satisfied with one. Then I got the idea of using a simple cookie dough to make them, and voila, it worked.
I used the same cookie dough as for the Spookalicious Halloween cookies, and simply colored half of the dough red and added mint extract.

For the Candy Cane Cookies you'll need:

4 1/4 cups(500g) Flour
2 Tsp. Baking powder
1/2 Tsp. Salt
2 middle large eggs
3/4 cup+2 Tbsp.(200g) Sugar
Pulp of one Vanilla bean
1 1/8 cup/2 1/2 sticks(250g) Butter
1-2 Tsp. Mint Aroma or Extract( If you want to use it)
Red food color


1. Sift flour, baking powder, salt and sugar into a large bowl. Make a mold in the middle. Add the eggs, the vanilla pulp and the butter.

2. Mix and knead it all together until it  holds together and you have a pliable dough. 
Cut the dough in half and mix the food color and mint extract into one half.
Wrap both doughs in plastic and put into the fridge for 1 hour.

3. Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C.
Take both doughs out of the fridge. Cut of a small piece of each dough and roll into thin sausages(make sure they aren't too thin or they will tear). Cut the sausages into 11,5cm/4.5 inch long pieces, and bread the doughs. Pinch the ends together.  Form them into a Candy Cane shape, by bending the top.
Put them on a parchment paper covered baking sheet and bake for 10-15 min until they start to turn golden brown.

I think a simple glass of milk go best with those.

XOXO Owlicious ;)