Oh, the holidays! There’s just something magical about the smell of baking filling the house, isn’t there? For me, it just wouldn’t be Christmas without a batch of these incredible Candy Cane Shortbread Cookies. Seriously, you guys, these aren’t just cookies; they’re little bites of festive cheer! That buttery, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread combined with the sweet, crisp candy cane swirl is just perfection. I’ve been making these for years, and they’re always the first treat to disappear from the cookie platter. They’re truly a labor of love, but so, so worth it!
Why You’ll Love These Candy Cane Shortbread Cookies
Seriously, these cookies are a holiday showstopper without being fussy! Here’s why you’ll be making them year after year:
- Super Easy to Make: Even if you’re new to baking, you can totally nail these!
- Buttery Perfection: That classic shortbread flavor you know and love, but with a festive twist.
- Festive & Fun: The red and white swirl looks so pretty on a holiday platter.
- Crowd Pleaser: Everyone, young and old, goes crazy for these delightful little treats!
Gather Your Ingredients for Candy Cane Shortbread Cookies
Alright, let’s get our game faces on and round up everything we need for these amazing Candy Cane Shortbread Cookies. You’ll want to make sure you’ve got good quality stuff here, as it really makes a difference! Grab these:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened: This is super important! Make sure it’s soft but not melted. Goldilocks-level perfection is what we’re after!
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar: Just your regular white sugar will do the trick here.
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract: A good splash of pure vanilla is key for that classic flavor.
- 2 cups all-purpose flour: Sifted or not, this is the backbone of our shortbread.
- 1/4 teaspoon salt: Just a pinch to balance out all that sweetness.
- 1/4 cup crushed candy canes: You can buy these pre-crushed or just toss a few candy canes into a zip-top bag and go to town with a rolling pin or mallet!
Essential Equipment for Making Candy Cane Shortbread Cookies
To whip up these adorable and delicious Candy Cane Shortbread Cookies, you don’t need a whole fancy arsenal, but having the right friends in your kitchen makes all the difference! Here’s what you’ll want to have on hand:
- Mixing Bowls: A couple of good-sized ones will do. One for your wet ingredients, one for your dry.
- Mixer: A trusty stand mixer or a good hand mixer makes creaming the butter and sugar so much easier. You *could* do it by hand, but, wow, that’s a workout!
- Rubber Spatula or Wooden Spoon: For scraping down the bowls and gently folding ingredients.
- Plastic Wrap: Gotta have this to wrap up our dough logs for chilling!
- Baking Sheets: Two or three should be enough so you can bake in batches.
- Parchment Paper: Essential for preventing sticking and easy cleanup. Life saver!
- Sharp Knife: For slicing those chilled dough logs into neat little cookies.
- Wire Cooling Rack: So your cookies can cool off properly and get nice and crisp.
Step-by-Step Guide to Perfect Candy Cane Shortbread Cookies
Alright, let’s get down to business and make some magic happen! Making these Candy Cane Shortbread Cookies is a fun little process, and I promise, it’s totally doable. Just follow along with me:
Preparing the Shortbread Dough Base
First things first, let’s get our buttery base going. In a big bowl, cream together your softened butter and granulated sugar. You want this mixture to get nice and fluffy – think of it looking like pale yellow clouds! It’s super important that the butter is truly softened, not melted. You can totally check out this tip on creaming butter and sugar if you’re unsure. Once it looks fluffy, beat in that teaspoon of vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, just give your flour and salt a quick whisk together. Then, slowly add the dry stuff to the wet stuff, mixing *just* until it all comes together. Seriously, don’t overdo it here!
Creating the Candy Cane Swirl Effect
Now for the fun part – the swirl! We’re going to divide the dough right down the middle. Take one half and add a few drops of red food coloring. Gently knead it in until you get a nice, even red color. On a lightly floured surface, roll out *both* halves of the dough into rectangles that are about 1/4 inch thick. They don’t have to be perfect, just try to get them roughly the same size. Carefully stack the red dough on top of the white dough. Then, starting from one of the long sides, gently but firmly roll this stacked dough into a log, aiming for about 2 inches in diameter. Squish and shape as you go to keep it nice and neat!
Chilling and Slicing the Cookie Dough
This step is non-negotiable, folks! Wrap that pretty red and white log tightly in plastic wrap. You’ve got to pop it into the fridge for at least an hour. This firms up the butter, which is crucial for cleanly slicing the cookies and preventing them from spreading too much. Once it’s nice and chilled, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line your baking sheets with parchment paper. Then, use a sharp knife to slice the log into about 1/4-inch thick rounds. Try to keep them even!
Baking and Cooling Your Candy Cane Shortbread Cookies
Arrange your sliced cookies on the prepared baking sheets, leaving a little space between them. Now, sprinkle a few of those crushed candy canes right on top of each cookie. Pop them into your preheated oven for about 10-12 minutes. You’re looking for the edges to be just lightly golden. They’ll look a little soft in the center, but trust me, they’ll crisp up as they cool. Let them hang out on the baking sheet for a few minutes before carefully moving them to a wire rack to cool completely. That’s when they get that perfect crisp texture!
Tips for Perfect Candy Cane Shortbread Cookies
Okay, so you’ve got the recipe, you’ve got the ingredients… but sometimes, a little insider know-how can take your cookies from “good” to “OMG, these are the best ever!” Here are a few tricks I’ve picked up over the years to make sure your Candy Cane Shortbread Cookies turn out absolutely perfect every single time. Trust me, these little details make a big difference!
Ingredient Temperature Matters
This is probably the MOST important tip I can give you! Your butter? It needs to be *softened*. Not melted into a puddle, but soft enough that you can easily press your finger into it and leave an indent. Cold butter won’t cream properly with the sugar, and melted butter will make your dough too greasy and your cookies spread like crazy. Let it sit on the counter for about an hour before you start. It makes all the difference for that light, fluffy texture!
Avoiding Overmixing the Dough
Once you add the flour to your wet ingredients, you’ve got to be gentle! Overmixing the flour develops the gluten too much, which makes your cookies tough and chewy instead of tender and crumbly. Mix until *just* combined – you’ll still see a few streaks of flour, and that’s perfectly okay. It’s better to slightly under-mix than over-mix here. Seriously, resist the urge to keep going!
Ingredient Substitutions and Variations
While these Candy Cane Shortbread Cookies are pretty perfect as they are, I love getting creative in the kitchen! If you’re feeling adventurous or just need to swap something out, here are a few ideas. You could totally add a little drop of peppermint extract along with the vanilla for an extra punch of minty flavor – just start with 1/4 teaspoon, you don’t want them to taste like toothpaste! If you don’t have candy canes, you could try a few white chocolate chips mixed into the dough or sprinkled on top, though you’ll lose that signature swirl look. For a hint of citrus, a little bit of orange zest in the dough before you add the flour can be really surprisingly yummy with the mint!
Serving and Storage of Candy Cane Shortbread Cookies
These Candy Cane Shortbread Cookies are just delightful served with a warm cup of tea or coffee, or even a cold glass of milk – perfect for Santa, right?! Once they’re completely cooled, you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. They tend to stay nice and crisp that way! If you happen to have any leftovers (which I seriously doubt!), you can pop them in the fridge for a bit longer, though they might lose a little crispness. Freezing isn’t my top choice for these, as shortbread can get a bit crumbly when thawed, but if you must, wrap them well and use within a month or so.
Frequently Asked Questions about Candy Cane Shortbread Cookies
Got questions about these festive little beauties? I’ve got answers! It’s totally normal to wonder about a few things when you’re tackling a new recipe, and I’ve heard them all!
Can I make these cookies without food coloring?
Absolutely! If you’re not a fan of food coloring or just want a more natural look, you can definitely skip it. The dough will just be white shortbread, and you can still sprinkle the crushed candy canes on top. It won’t have that classic red-and-white swirl, but I promise it will still taste delicious! The flavor is all in the cookie and the candy cane crunch.
How do I get a cleaner swirl?
Getting those super clean swirls takes a little practice. The key is to make sure your dough is well-chilled before you slice it – that’s half the battle! Also, try to roll your dough rectangles to be as close in size as possible before stacking them. When you roll the big log, make sure you’re rolling it evenly without squishing the ends too much. A very sharp knife and a steady hand for slicing also really helps keep those swirls looking sharp!
Can I use peppermint extract instead of candy canes?
You sure can! If you don’t have candy canes on hand or prefer a more subtle peppermint flavor, peppermint extract is a great substitute. I’d suggest adding about 1/4 teaspoon of peppermint extract to the vanilla when you’re mixing the wet ingredients. Taste the dough (carefully, of course!) and see if you want a little more. You don’t want it to be too overpowering, but a touch of peppermint is lovely!
Why did my cookies spread so much?
Oh, the dreaded cookie spread! Usually, this happens for a couple of reasons. The biggest culprit is often the butter not being properly softened – if it’s too warm and melted, the dough will be too soft. Also, overmixing the flour can make them spread too. And *definitely* make sure you chill that dough log for at least an hour! Cold dough holds its shape much better in the oven.
Estimated Nutritional Information
Just a heads-up, the nutrition info for these yummy Candy Cane Shortbread Cookies is an estimate, you know? It can change a little depending on exactly what ingredients you use and how big you slice your cookies. But, generally speaking, one cookie has about:
- Calories: Around 150
- Fat: About 8g (that’s the good buttery kind!)
- Carbohydrates: Roughly 17g
- Protein: Just a little, about 1g
So, enjoy these festive treats in moderation!
Print
Candy Cane Shortbread Cookies
- Total Time: 1 hour 37 min
- Yield: 24 cookies 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Crisp and buttery shortbread cookies with a festive candy cane swirl. Perfect for holiday baking.
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup crushed candy canes
Instructions
- Cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the vanilla extract.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.
- Divide the dough in half.
- Color one half of the dough with red food coloring.
- Roll out each half of the dough into a rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick.
- Stack the red dough on top of the white dough.
- Roll the stacked dough into a log, about 2 inches in diameter.
- Wrap the log in plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Slice the chilled dough into 1/4-inch thick rounds.
- Place the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Sprinkle the tops of the cookies with crushed candy canes.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- For a stronger candy cane flavor, you can add a drop of peppermint extract to the dough.
- Ensure your butter is truly softened for the best texture.
- Do not overmix the dough once the flour is added.
- Prep Time: 25 min
- Cook Time: 12 min
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 10g
- Sodium: 30mg
- Fat: 8g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 17g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 25mg
Keywords: candy cane cookies, shortbread, holiday cookies, Christmas baking, festive treats, peppermint cookies