Candy-Cane Cookies

Finally, I am thrilled to announce the winner of the coveted first spot on my Christmas baking list. This cookie recipe was the lucky winner because I know it freezes great, lasts a long time in the freezer, tastes really good when I need something sweet and snag a spoonful of dough from the freezer, and the cookies are also my all-time favorites.

Candy-Cane Cookies

• 1 c. butter, softened
• 1 c. powdered sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 t. almond extract
• 1 t. vanilla extract
• 1 t. salt
• 2 1/2 c. flour
• red food coloring
• optional: 1/2 c. crushed candy canes & 1/2 c. granulated sugar

1. Mix together the butter, powdered sugar, egg, and extracts until well creamed.
2. Whisk or sift together the salt and flour. Slowly add to the creamed ingredients.
3. Divide dough into two halves. Put one half in a bowl and add a few drops of red food coloring. Blend into the dough until it is the color you'd like for your candy canes, adding more coloring as needed.
4. Roll about 1 t. of dough from each half about 4 inches long. Place the strips next to each other, lightly press together and twist into a rope. Curve the top of the dough to form a candy-cane shape.
5. Bake about 9 minutes at 375 degrees. If desired, combine the crushed candy cane piexes with the sugar and sprinkle over hot cookies.

**If the process of rolling out all the dough seems too labor-intensive to you, just mold the colored and uncolored dough halves together, roll into a log and slice off cookies. Then sprinkle the hot cookies with the crushed candy/sugar topping. These may not be as pretty, but they taste just as delicious. Trust me, I usually am done with all the rolling and shaping by the third batch or so.

Find lots more recipes over at the weekly recipe swap at Grocery Cart Challenge. And don't forget to link up your recipes for the Scrumptious Sunday Swap over at Happy To Be At Home this weekend!