Candy Cane Cookies

I got this recipe from my high school cooking class. They are a standard Christmas Cookie in my house. Just before Christmas Break 2009 I made these with the kids at the school I now work at. Each kid got to make 6 cookies each to take home. Each color weighed about 10 grams each.

• Ready In: 30 mins
• Yields: 24 cookies

Ingredients

• 2  cups butter, softened
• 2  cups sugar
• 2  eggs
• 1  teaspoon vanilla
• 2  teaspoons  peppermint extract
• 7  cups flour
• 2  teaspoons baking powder
• 1⁄8 teaspoon salt
• 1  cup milk
•  red food coloring or   green food coloring

Directions

1. Cream together butter and sugar until smooth.
2. Beat in egg, vanilla and peppermint extract.
3. Stir together flour, baking powder and salt.
4. Tint milk with either red or green food coloring.
5. Alternately with milk (3 dry, 2 milk). Until smooth and pliable.
6. Cover and chill for 4 hours or until firm.
7. Cut into 48 pieces.
8. With hands, gently roll one piece of each color into 4” rope. Place side by side and twist together. Put on cookie sheet and form cane.
9. Bake at 375 F for 12-15 minutes.
10. Notes: Make 2 batches of dough for 48 cookies, one green, one red.