Candy Cane Sugar Cookies Recipe

One of my fondest memories from childhood is baking cookies with my mom during the holidays. I would stand on a chair at the kitchen counter and help roll out sugar cookie dough, usually doing a better job at getting flour all over myself and the floor than properly rolling out the dough. We would bake what I thought were the greatest cookies ever. Looking back, they probably weren't so tasty to a more experienced cookie eater, but my family did a great job eating them anyway. Sometimes the best part of a recipe is making and enjoying it together as a family.

That's why our favorite Christmas cookie recipe this year is one the whole family can help make. No matter how many kiddos get into the flour with you, I promise your candy cane cookies will be scrum-diddly-umptious! Secret ingredient: one tube of store-bought sugar cookie dough. ;)

Candy Cane Sugar Cookies Recipe

What you need: (makes 35)

• 1 tube sugar cookie dough, softened
• 4 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp food coloring, red

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix the cookie dough and flour in a large bowl until smooth. Divide dough half, and mix red food coloring into one half.
3. Roll about 1 tsp of white dough and 1 tsp of red dough into two 6-inch ropes. Lay them side by side and press together slightly. Now twist! Smarty Tip: If dough starts to crack as you twist, just smooth out the gaps with your finger. Set aside, and repeat with remaining dough.
4. Place dough twists on an ungreased baking sheet and curve them to form into candy cane shapes.
5. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and set on cooling rack. Allow the cookies to cool completely before removing them from the cookie sheet to make sure they keep their candy cane shape.

Once your candy cane cookies have cooled, hang them on mugs of milk and serve your family and friends. Enjoy!

Pick out a cute mug for your milk:

[caption id="attachment_49259" align="aligncenter" width="500"] 8 oz Platinum Bone Plastic Coffee Mugs[/caption]

Happy holiday baking to you all! Be sure to share all your party pictures with us on Facebook and Twitter. We LOVE seeing the beautiful events you design.

Much Party Love, Smarties!