Candy Cane Puffs Recipes

CANDY CANE CROQUEMBOUCHE

Steps:

• Make the pastry puffs: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Bring 1 cup water, the butter, granulated sugar and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan. Remove from the heat and sift the flour directly into the pan; stir with a wooden spoon until a paste forms. Return to medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the paste is shiny and pulls away from the side of the pan, about 3 minutes.
• Transfer to a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed to cool slightly, about 2 minutes. Beat in 1 egg until incorporated, then beat in 1 more egg. Whisk the third egg in a small bowl, then beat into the dough, 1 tablespoon at a time, until just smooth and tight. (You may not need all of the third egg.)
• Transfer the dough to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch round tip. Pipe 1 1/4-inch rounds of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart; you should have about 50 puffs. (Alternatively, drop the dough in small mounds onto the baking sheets with a spoon.) Smooth the dough peaks with a dampened finger, then transfer to the oven and bake until puffed, 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and continue baking until golden, 5 more minutes. Turn off the oven but leave the puffs inside to dry out, 5 to 7 more minutes. Remove from the oven and pierce a small hole in each puff with a paring knife to let steam escape; transfer to a rack to cool completely.
• Make the filling: Put the white chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. Bring the heavy cream to a boil in a small saucepan, then pour it over the chocolate. Gently whisk until smooth and cool, about 7 minutes; whisk in the peppermint extract. Stir in the mascarpone until combined. Cover and refrigerate until thick enough to pipe, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a large pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch round tip.
• Insert the tip of the pastry bag into the hole in each puff and pipe in the filling. Transfer the filled puffs to a baking sheet; refrigerate at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.
• Make the icing: Whisk the confectioners' sugar and milk in a large bowl until smooth. Assemble the croquembouche: Dip the bottom of a puff into the icing, letting the excess drip off. Transfer the puff to a platter, icing-side down. Repeat with more puffs, arranging them side-by-side in a 7-inch circle. Fill in the circle with more puffs to stabilize the base of the tower. Continue building a conical tower of puffs, using the icing to hold them in place. (If the icing becomes too thick, whisk in more milk, 1 teaspoon at a time.)
• Dust the croquembouche with confectioners' sugar and sprinkle with crushed candy canes; chill until set, about 15 minutes.

SPRITZ CANDY CANE COOKIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F. In large bowl, combine sugar, shortening and butter; beat until light and fluffy. Add peppermint extract and egg; beat until well combined. Add flour, baking powder and salt; mix well.
• Divide dough in half. To 1 half, add food color; mix until well blended and uniform in color.
• Attach star template to cookie press. With press lying on its side, fill one side with half of white dough; fill other side with half of pink dough. Press dough onto ungreased cookie sheets, forming 4-inch strips. Bend tops of each strip to form cane shape. Repeat with remaining dough.
• Bake at 375°F. for 4 to 7 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheet. Immediately sprinkle warm cookies with crushed candy.

CANDY CANE STRUDEL

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400°F. Spray large cookie sheet with cooking spray. In medium bowl, beat cream cheese and 1/2 cup of the powdered sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. On low speed, beat in vanilla and egg.
• Unfold puff pastry on lightly floured surface. Roll into 15x12-inch rectangle. Fold pastry in half lengthwise and transfer to cookie sheet; unfold pastry. Spread cream cheese mixture lengthwise down center third of rectangle. Spoon preserves by tablespoonfuls over cream cheese.
• On each long side of rectangle, make cuts 1 inch apart from edge of dough to within 1/2 inch of filling. To give braided appearance, fold alternate strips of dough at an angle completely across filling, forming a tight braid. Seal ends. Gently curve top of braid down to form handle of candy cane.
• Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on pan 15 minutes. Place on serving platter. Cool completely, about30 minutes.
• In small bowl, mix remaining 3/4 cup powdered sugar and milk until smooth. Drizzle over braid. Garnish with pecans and cherries.

CANDY CANE CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9-inch springform pan.
• Combine the cookie crumbs and 3 tablespoons sugar in a bowl. Drizzle the melted butter into the mixture while stirring until evenly moistened. Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan.
• Bake in preheated oven until set, about 10 minutes; set aside to cool. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
• Combine the cream cheese, flour, and salt in a large bowl. Beat with an electric hand mixer on lowest speed until smooth and fluffy. Add the 1 3/4 cup sugar, sour cream, and 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and beat until incorporated. Stir in the eggs one at a time, stopping and scraping down the sides of the bowl between each one.
• Divide the mixture evenly into two separate bowls. In one bowl, stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla. In the other bowl, add the peppermint extract and the red food coloring and mix until you get a reddish-pink color. Add more coloring as needed. Alternate layers of 1 cup each of the white and pink onto the cooled crust until all the filling is used.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the filling is mostly set. The center will jiggle slightly when the pan is shaken and the edges will be slightly puffed, 60 to 70 minutes.
• Sprinkle the crushed candies evenly over the cheesecake and gently press into the top. Allow to cool on a rack to room temperature. Cover loosely and refrigerate overnight before serving.

CANDY CANE COOKIES III

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream together the margarine, white sugar and confectioners' sugar. Beat in the egg, vanilla and peppermint extracts. Combine the flour and salt; stir into the creamed mixture until well blended. Cover or wrap dough and chill for at least one hour.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets. Divide dough into halves. Color one half red by mixing in the food color. Roll a small amount of each dough into a 2 inch long worm. Roll them together in a twisted rope and curve the end like a cane. Place onto prepared cookie sheets.
• Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. In a small bowl, mix together the crushed candy cane and remaining white sugar. Roll hot cookies in the sugar mixture.

CANDY CANE PUFFS

Steps:

• Combine flour and salt -- set aside.
• Cream butter and sugar, beat in egg and extracts.
• Mix into flour mixture using low speed.
• Wrap dough in plastic wrap, refrigerate for one hour.
• Shape dough into walnut sized balls --
• Place on lightly greased baking sheet --
• Bake at 375* for 10-12 minutes.
• Cool.
• melt white chocolate in a double boiler.dip cooled cookies into melted chocolate.
• Roll in crushed peppermint candy.
• Set on waxed paper.until hardened.