Candy Cane Shortbread Sugar Cookies
No-spread peppermint cookies that can be used for cut-out decorated cookies, or slice-and-bake cookies.
Prep Time15 minutes mins
Cook Time20 minutes mins
Resting Time4 hours hrs
Total Time4 hours hrs 35 minutes mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: candy cane cookies, cookies, cut out cookies, decorated cookies, peppermint cookie recipe, peppermint cookies, roll and cut cookies, shortbread, slice-and-bake, sugar cookies
Servings: 15 cookies
Calories: 241kcal
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoons peppermint emulsion or extract
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- *red food coloring optional
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup crushed candy cane
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Process candy cane in food processor until the texture of coarse sand.
Whisk dry ingredients (flour, cornstarch, and crushed candy cane) together and set aside.
Cream butter and sugars with paddle attachment, on medium-low speed, until fluffy and pale in color (about 5 minutes).
Add egg, extracts, and red food coloring (if using), and mix on low speed until thoroughly combined. Scrape down the paddle with a spatula, and then continue to mix on low speed for another 30 seconds to ensure everything is fully incorporated.
Add dry ingredients, all at once, and mix on low speed just until dough starts to come together and no dry bits remain. Do not overmix.
Turn dough out onto cling wrap, tightly wrap, and refrigerate overnight (or for at least 4 hours).
Knead, roll, cut out cookies, and return to fridge or freezer until firm. Leave a couple inches between cookies.
Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes, rotate pan, and bake for another 1-5 minutes until edges are starting to darken.
Remove cookies from oven and allow to cool on cookie sheet before handling.
- Whenever you are baking with mint, be careful when you open the oven door, so you don’t get a face full of steamy mint extract!
- The reason for adding 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch to your dough is to prevent your cookies from shrinking or spreading during baking.
- You want to grind all add-ins (candy cane) as fine as possible, comparable to the texture of almond meal or coarse sand. Larger pieces will leave you with jagged cookie edges.
- If making slice-and-bake cookies, split dough in half, roll into logs, wrap tightly in cling wrap or parchment paper, and refrigerate before slicing and baking.
Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 241kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 45mg | Sodium: 7mg | Potassium: 32mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 396IU | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 1mg