Peppermint Twist Candy Cookies Recipes

HARD CANDY PEPPERMINT TWISTS

Steps:

• Coat two 9-in. square pans with cooking spray; set aside. (Do not use butter or foil to prepare pans.), In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, combine water and vinegar. Add sugar. Cook and stir until sugar is dissolved and mixture comes to a boil, about 8 minutes. (If sugar crystals are present, cover saucepan for 1-1/2 to 2 minutes to allow steam to wash crystals down.) Cook, without stirring, until a candy thermometer reads 300° (hard-crack stage), about 26 minutes., Combine peppermint extract and food coloring. Remove syrup from the heat; stir in peppermint mixture until well blended (mixture will bubble up slightly). Immediately and carefully pour into prepared pans (do not scrape saucepan or tilt pans to spread mixture evenly). Cool for 1-1/2 to 2 minutes., Using a sharp knife, score candy into 1/2-in.-to 3/4-in.-wide pieces, about 3-in. long. Place both pans in a warm oven(150° or your oven's lowest temperature) for about 5 minutes or until candy is warm enough to cut but cool enough to handle., Using a heavy-duty kitchen scissors, cut along scored lines, one piece at a time. Immediately wrap each piece around the handle of a wooden spoon; remove candy and place on waxed paper to harden. Continue cutting and wrapping until mixture in pan begins to harden. Return pan to oven for at least 5 minutes. , Meanwhile, remove second pan from oven. Cut and wrap as before until mixture begins to harden. Return to oven and repeat with the first pan. Repeat until all mixture is cut and formed into twists.

PEPPERMINT-CANDY SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
• With a mixer on medium speed, beat butter with granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla until just blended, scraping down sides of bowl. Reduce speed to low and beat in flour mixture until combined. Refrigerate dough until firm, about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, place peppermints in a resealable plastic bag and finely crush with a meat mallet. Transfer to a shallow bowl and mix with sanding sugar.
• Form rounded teaspoons of dough into balls for small cookies, or rounded tablespoons for larger ones. Roll in crushed-candy mixture to coat. Arrange 2 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets.
• Bake, rotating sheets once, until edges are starting to brown, about 11 minutes for small cookies, 14 minutes for larger ones. Let cool completely on sheets on wire racks. (Break off any bits of melted candy from edges of cookies, if necessary.) Cookies can be stored in an airtight container, between sheets of parchment or waxed paper, up to 1 week.

PEPPERMINT CANDY CANE COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat the cookie dough, flour and extract until smooth. Divide dough in half; mix food coloring into one portion. , Shape 1 teaspoon of white dough into a 6-in. rope. Shape 1 teaspoon of red dough into a 6-in. rope. Place ropes side by side; press together lightly and twist. , Place on an ungreased baking sheet; curve top of cookie to form handle of cane. Repeat with remaining dough, placing cookies 2 in. apart on baking sheets. , Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until set. Cool for 2 minutes before carefully removing to wire racks.

PEPPERMINT CANDY COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Add flour, salt and extract and mix well. Divide dough into four portions. Tint one portion green and one red; leave remaining portions plain., Divide each portion into thirds; shape each into a 6-in. log. Flatten into triangular logs, bending the top of one point slightly (to give finished cookies a pinwheel effect). Assemble one large roll by alternating three green and three plain logs. Wrap in plastic. Repeat with red and remaining plain dough. Refrigerate 4 hours or until firm., Preheat oven to 375°. Unwrap dough and cut into 1/4-in. slices. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 8-10 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool on pans 1 minute. Remove to wire racks to cool., Cut 6-in.-square pieces of cellophane or plastic wrap to wrap each cookie; twist ends securely or tie with a ribbon.

PEPPERMINT SPRITZ COOKIES

Steps:

• Position oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
• Beat the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the almond and vanilla extracts and egg and mix until combined. Reduce the mixer speed to low, add the flour and salt and mix until just combined.
• Remove a third of the dough to a flour-dusted surface and reserve. Add the candy canes to the dough left in the bowl and mix on low until just combined. Remove to a flour-dusted surface and fold with your hands until it comes together.
• Add the reserved dough back to the mixer bowl and add enough red gel food coloring until it is a vibrant red like a fire truck, about 10 drops. Mix on low until the dough is completely red. Remove to a flour-dusted surface and fold with your hands until it comes together.
• Tear off 2 Ping-Pong ball-size pieces of the white dough and add to the barrel of a cookie press; add 1 marble-size piece of the red dough. Repeat this pattern until the barrel is filled (you will not use all of the dough). Place a wreath disc onto the cookie press barrel according to the manufacturer's instructions. Press the cookies onto an ungreased baking sheet and set aside. Repeat 2 more times in the same pattern with the remaining dough.
• Bake 2 of the batches until the cookies are firm but not yet browning on the bottom, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool the cookies for 1 minute on the baking sheets, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely, about 30 minutes. Bake the third batch and let cool. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.

PEPPERMINT CANDY DOUBLE-CHOCOLATE COOKIES

Steps:

• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
• Beat the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl on medium-high speed until fluffy. Add the vanilla and egg and beat to combine.
• Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
• Scoop slightly mounded tablespoons of the dough and roll into balls. Arrange about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, position oven racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Sprinkle and press some of the crushed peppermint candies on top of each mound of chilled dough. Bake until the cookies are set and golden on the bottom, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely.

CANDY STRIPE TWIST COOKIES

Steps:

• Sift together and set aside the flour, baking powder, and salt.
• Cream butter and sugar til fluffy.
• Beat in egg and oil of anise.
• Sift in dry ingredients a third at a time, alternately adding with milk.
• Stir until well blended.
• Divide dough in half and tint one half pink.
• Pinch off 1 tsp each of pink and white dough and roll each into a pencil-thin strip about 5 inches long on a lightly floured board.
• Place strips side by side, pressing ends together, then twist gently into a rope.
• Shape into candy canes if desired, or leave straight for old-fashioned peppermint stick look.
• Bake 1 inch apart at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, or until firm.
• Cool on wire racks, then store between layers of waxed paper in cookie tin.

PEPPERMINT CANDY SANDWICH COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat butter, shortening and extracts until blended. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until thick and creamy. Stir in candies., Spread about 1 tablespoon mixture on bottoms of half of the cookies. Cover with remaining cookies.

PEPPERMINT HOLIDAY COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Beat the butter and white sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth. Beat egg into butter mixture until completely incorporated. Mix flour and salt into the butter mixture until just incorporated. Fold crushed candy canes into the batter, mixing just enough to evenly combine. Roll dough into balls 1 tablespoon at a time; arrange on baking sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven until firm, 8 to 10 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 1 minute before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Whisk confectioners' sugar and warm water together in a small bowl until you have a smooth icing. Dip top of each cookie in the icing, Top with additional crushed candy cane, if desired. Set aside to let the icing dry, at least 5 minutes.

PEPPERMINT TWIST KISSES

Steps:

• Freeze kisses in a covered container for at least 1 hour. In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar and salt until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolk and extracts. Gradually beat flour into creamed mixture., Divide dough in half; tint one portion red. Divide each half into four portions and shape into 9-in. long rolls. Place one red log next to one white log; twist gently to create one swirled roll. Roll gently until it becomes one log. Repeat with remaining dough. Wrap logs in plastic wrap; refrigerate 1 hour or until firm., Preheat oven to 350°. Unwrap dough. Cut each log crosswise into nine slices; shape each slice into a ball. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Flatten slightly with a glass., Bake 10-12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Immediately press a kiss into center of each cookie. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool. Freeze option: Freeze cookies, layered between waxed paper, in freezer containers. To use, thaw before serving.

EASY PEPPERMINT CANDY COOKIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F. In large bowl, stir cookie mix, butter, egg and flour until dough forms. Roll dough into 1 1/4-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten slightly with bottom of glass.
• Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely, about 20 minutes.
• In small bowl, mix frosting and peppermint extract. Spread each cookie with frosting. Using small spoon, sprinkle red sugar onto cookies in spiral design to look like peppermint candies.

CANDY CANE COOKIES

Steps:

• 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.
• Heat oven to 375°F.
• Stir together peppermint candy and 2 tablespoon sugar; set aside.
• 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.
• 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.