Candy Cane Snickerdoodles
You have to try this delicious cookie with a holiday twist.
Photo: Two Peas and Their Pod
To say I like cookies might be the biggest understatement ever. I don't just like cookies, I love them. I live for them! I can't imagine a week, or even a day for that matter, without indulging in a few. And I'm pretty sure it's contagious because my husband and my oldest son have their own cookie cravings. Even though my youngest son is still too little to eat sweets, I'm sure it wont be long before he's joining us around the table with a tall glass of milk and a plate full of cookies.
Christmas is my favorite time of year to make cookies. We make cookies to give away as presents, for when family comes to visit, for coworkers, to freeze and bake at a moment's notice, and just to have lying around for when the craving strikes one of us…which is all the time.
Aside from our time-honored Christmas cookie lineup, each year I like to take a traditional Christmas cookie recipe and give it a small twist. Who knows it might get a spot in our collection of holiday cookies? That's exactly what happened last year when I spiced up an oldie but a goody: the snickerdoodle.
Photo: Two Peas and Their Pod
I didn't change my snickerdoodle recipe, just added one ingredient. One added ingredient might not sound like that big of a twist, but this one ingredient packs a big punch and took this cookie to another dimension. What ingredient did I add you ask? Candy canes!
I took my favorite snickerdoodle recipe and added crushed candy canes to it. Wow, did they turn out good! Parts of the candy cane meld right into the cookie giving it an incredible chewy texture, while other parts remain firm giving a great crunch and flavor. The candy canes also give a great punch of holiday color to these cookies.
You won't be disappointed with these treats. They might not even make it from the cooling rack to the cookie jar before they're devoured.
Candy Cane Snickerdoodles
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup butter, room temperature
2 large eggs
3/4 cup candy canes, coarsely crushed and divided
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat baking mat. Set aside.
Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. Put butter and granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in eggs, one at a time. Reduce speed to low and gradually mix in flour mixture. Mix in 1/4 cup of crushed candy canes.
Photo: Two Peas and Their Pod
Stir together remaining 1/2 cup of candy canes, cinnamon and 2 tablespoons sugar in a small bowl. Shape dough into balls, I used a heaping teaspoon of dough. Roll balls in cinnamon, sugar, and peppermint mixture. Place cookie dough balls on prepared baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes, until edges are golden. Let cookies cool on baking sheet for 3 minutes and then transfer to a wire cooling rack.
