Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Candy Cane Cookies and Christmas Garland

This afternoon the girls and I made candy cane cookies. I found the recipe at The Homespun Heart. They are really good and it was fun rolling the dough and forming it into the candy cane shapes.

Candy Cane Cookies
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup powdered sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 tsp. peppermint extract
2 1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp. red food coloring

Cream together butter, shortening, sugar and egg until light and fluffy. Add extracts. Gradually stir in flour. Divide dough in half. Add food coloring to one half and mix well. Wrap each half in waxed paper or plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour (or you can freeze the dough at this point). Preheat oven to 375. Roll cookies to long ropes twisting together one of each color to form the candy cane shape. Bake 9 to 10 minutes. If desired, brush with egg white and sprinkle with crushed candy cane.

The girls also made this Names of Jesus garland along the lines of one we saw at The Homespun Heart. She has a tutorial if you want to know how to make one.


The girls love to be crafty and this was a fun and easy project for them. I didn't laminate it so it may only last through the season, but that's OK. We can make another one next year. :)

Have you done anything Christmassy this week?

14 comments:

Elaine said...

I just found your blog this evening and it is lovely. I look forward to reading your past posts. I did catch a glimpse of your Russian tea cakes from yesterday and I think I will be making those for a Cookie Exchange I'm going to next week. Thanks!

Elaine

Lisa @ Life with 4! said...

my kids and I made some of those candy cane cookies last year... I forgot about them until now. We'll have to bake some of those up again.
I love that garland... what a great idea!
your mantle and fireplace look beautiful... nice and cozy!

Ashleigh Baker said...

The cookies look adorable! What a great gift those would make. But even more, I love the Names of Jesus garland. Beautiful!

Anonymous said...

The cookies are so cute and I love the garland, thanks for the ideas!

Monica Wilkinson said...

So glad you had fun making the cookies and garland! Everything looks so cozy!! :)

Anonymous said...

That is a neat idea! We might make the garland, too. We have been watching Christmas movies nearly every night and sitting by the fire. Last night was the perfect night for a fire, but all of our wood was wet. :-( I didn't even try to start one.

Anonymous said...

I love the Names of Jesus garland that your girls made! What a great idea!

Dionne said...

We all love those candy cane cookies!
Cheers,
Dionne

Carolina Girl said...

Those cookies look delicious! We put up our tree and some other decorations this week, but I am still looking for the rest of the decorations!
Shellie

Mother Hood said...

I LOVE the "Names of Jesus" garland. A great way to focus on the heart of CHRISTmas!

Serah said...

Hello! I found your blog this week and have almost managed to catch up on all of your 2008 posts. You're so inspiring to me! I'm a work-outside-the-home Mom by necessity (not choice), so I do my best to be the best wife, mother and homemaker that I can be despite not being home all day.

So please don't be too hard on those of us who don't really have a choice!

I love the "Name of Jesus" garland, too!

Merry Christmas!

the voice of melody said...

Your candy cane cookies look just wonderful! I'm sure they were delicious. :)

Anonymous said...

Very pretty and yummy cookies. I want to try these. I also really liked that garland idea.

Jennifer @ Conversion Diary said...

Mmmm, those cookies look delicious! I'm actually doing a big baking day today to get together with friends and make cookie Christmas gifts. Thanks for the inspiration!