Candy Cane Cookies

I just finished baking 600 cookies. Started at 7 am this morning. It is now almost midnight. 

I hate cookies.

OK. No I don't. But for this month, the month of December, the month of COOKIES, I. Hate. Cookies. 

You know what cookies are super cute, but will drive you nuts when you have to bake 600 cookies? These cookies above.  Sure, the recipe is relatively easy.  A sugar cookie dough, split in two, with one half dyed red with food coloring.  Then you roll and twist. 

Rolling and twisting stinks when you've been baking and decorating for 7 hours already.  Then you roll and twist.  150 cookies. The red dough is hard to handle.  I had to chill this dough every five minutes.  I wanted to just eat the dough and call it a day. 

I made these cookies when I didn't know how to cook a few years back with a Sandra Lee recipe where you used pre-made sugar cookie dough.  They tasted like crap. I can finally admit that.  

But these were delicious.  A big pain to make, but super cute and delicious and a great addition to any holiday feast.

Now, I must sleep. Please... no more cookies. For at least 5 days.

Candy Cane Cookies

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 cup butter

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon red food coloring

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 degrees F.

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. Cool completely.

Comments

[jenn (Bread + Butter)]

Wow...I couldn't never handle making 600!! But they look fantastic though. Put me in a festive moos. ;-D

[Nicole]

My mother-in-law makes these cookies every year (thank goodness not the Sandra Lee way :)) and I love them. I can't believe you baked cookies for that long! You're devotion in the kitchen is amazing. Maybe next year you can bake the most labor intensive cookies in the morning and do drop or slice and bake cookies in the evening?

[Natasha - 5 Star Foodie]

Wow, 600 cookies! Well, they are adorable and I bet they are delicious and much appreciated by the ones who'll be eating them!

[Mimi]

Candy cane cookies are my kids favorite. Each year had to make them for their classmates. We dust ours in powdered sugar with crushed candy canes.
I agree, very festive, but labor intensive.
Mimi

[ingrid]

You hatin' on Ms. Semi-homemade? LOL!

They LOOK like they'd be a pain in the butt to make so they better be DARN good to eat.
~ingrid

[Andrea@WellnessNotes]

Candy cane cookies are my favorite cookies! I just love the way they look, and I love good sugar cookies! But I can see how making hundreds of them would be a pain...

[The Duo Dishes]

600 cookies...!?@#?@!#?!@?!

Wow.

Your stamina is astounding.

These would be nice to add a little mint flavoring too for a nice bite!

[Tracey]

Wow, 600 cookies in 1 day?? You are a machine!! Good work. Now get some rest - I think you've earned it :)

I just made some candy cane cookies too. Love yours and I'm glad they were tasty!

[Jennifer]

Oh goodness, that's too many cookies. These cookies are beautiful, but, a girl needs her rest!

[Jen @ My Kitchen Addiction]

These are one of my favorites... They look pretty! They remind me of cookies that my grandmother used to make. Makes me miss her lots, though!

[sophia]

Well, if you had to bake 600 cookies...that would definitely kill the cookie-loving mood. Man!

But these are so adorable! I love them.

[Maria]

That's a lot of cookies! You are amazing!

[Bianca @south bay rants n raves]

You must have a lot of patience....but who couldn't resist these festive cookies!

[Mary Ann]

I absolutely love your honesty. This is the reason why I don't bake cookies more- the time factor.
These are super cute though! The people who get them will be glad you spent all day on them!

[Lauryn]

Those are so cute!! I can def see how making 600 of them would be tedious, but they look fabulous!! Great job! You are incredible!

[Jen]

Whenever Sandra Lee is mentioned, I think about her Kwanzaa cake and I die laughing :) http://www.foodnetwork.com/videos/kwanzaa-cake/1455.html. I needed a laugh, so thanks! Cute cookies!

[LoveFeast Table]

You are a better girl than I....no 600 anything for me...bah humbug!! :)

[Erica]

Those cookies look beautiful!I don't like to bake, but those sound delicious.

[Jessica]

I've been so behind on blog reading and commenting lately . . . it's been forever since I got a chance to read your fabulous blog.

My heart goes out to you! I can only imagine how much you dislike cookies right now after the sugar cookies and now these candy canes. I've made the candy canes before (just a regular batch!) and they're a pain in the a**! If I had to make 600 you'd probably find me in a corner sucking my thumb. I'm so impressed with your dedication.

[Mike]

You need something to fill your time.... these are fabulous cookies! You should be proud of yourself - I wouldn't have the patience to do these, 1 much less all the ones you twisted! Perfect for the season - a cookie that deserves many compliments!