MISSION, KS--(Marketwire - December 13, 2010) - (Family Features) Headline your holiday with the quintessential flavor of the season -- peppermint. These extra special sweets offer a bountiful buffet of peppermint possibilities. Choose one or more for cookie exchanges, après caroling nibbles, gifts for teachers and Santa.
Visit www.wilton.com for additional holiday ideas, and to order baking and decorating supplies.
Peppermint Ribbon Cookies
Makes about 6 dozen cookies
| 3 | cups all-purpose flour | |
| 1 | teaspoon salt | |
| 1/2 | teaspoon baking powder | |
| 1 | cup (2 sticks) butter, softened | |
| 1 1/3 | cups granulated sugar | |
| 2 | eggs | |
| 2 | teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract | |
| 2 | to 4 drops Peppermint Candy Flavoring | |
| Christmas Red Icing Color, as desired | ||
| 1 | package (14 ounces) Candy Cane Colorburst Candy Melts, melted |
In medium bowl, combine flour, salt and baking powder. In large bowl, beat butter and sugar with electric mixer until light and creamy. Add eggs, vanilla and peppermint candy flavoring; mix well. Add flour mixture, one cup at a time; mixing well after each addition.
Remove 1/3 of dough; reserve. To remaining 2/3 dough in mixer bowl, beat in red icing color. Roll and shape dough between parchment paper into two 6 x 8-inch disks. Roll and shape untinted dough between parchment paper to a 6 x 8-inch disk. Chill all dough rectangles at least 1 hour.
Line cookie sheet with parchment paper. Peel parchment from dough pieces. Stack dough rectangles with untinted dough rectangle between the two red pieces, lining them up as evenly as possible; gently press pieces together. Gently roll with rolling pin to seal layers; trim uneven edges with sharp knife. Cut dough lengthwise into three 2 inch-wide slices; cut each column crosswise into 1/4 inch-thick pieces. Arrange 2 inches apart on parchment-lined cookie pans. Chill 1/2 hour.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until bottoms are light golden brown. Remove cookies to cooling grids; cool completely.
Dip cooled cookies into melted Candy Melts; set on parchment-lined cookie pans. Chill until candy is set. Store in airtight container.
Candy Cane Cookies
Makes about 2 dozen cookies
| 1 | cup (2 sticks) butter, softened | |
| 1 | cup granulated sugar | |
| 1 | egg | |
| 1 1/2 | teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract | |
| 1/4 | teaspoon Peppermint Candy Flavoring or 1/2 teaspoon Imitation Almond Extract | |
| 3 | cups all-purpose flour | |
| No-Taste Red Icing Color | ||
| White Sparkling Sugar |
Preheat oven to 375ºF. In large bowl, cream butter with sugar with mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, vanilla and peppermint candy flavoring. Add flour 1 cup at a time to butter mixture, mixing well after each addition. If dough becomes too stiff, add water, a teaspoon at a time. Do not chill dough.
Divide dough into 2 balls. Color one ball of dough red with icing color. Pinch off a 1-inch ball of each color dough. On flat surface, roll ball into 3-inch-long strips. Place red and white strips side-by-side; roll them together until the two colors have wrapped around one another and are twisted together. Curve the strip at the top to the shape of a candy cane and place on ungreased cookie sheet; gently press Sparkling Sugar into dough.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned. Cool on pan 2 minutes; remove to cooling grid and cool completely.
Roll-Out Cookie Recipe
| 1 | cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened | |
| 1 1/2 | cups granulated sugar | |
| 1 | egg | |
| 1 1/2 | teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract | |
| 1/2 | teaspoon Imitation Almond Extract | |
| 2 3/4 | cups all-purpose flour | |
| 2 | teaspoons baking powder | |
| 1 | teaspoon salt |
Preheat oven to 400°F. In mixing bowl, cream butter with sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and extracts. In a separate bowl mix flour, baking powder and salt; add to butter mixture 1 cup at a time, mixing after each addition. Do not chill dough.
Evergreen Treats
Makes about 3 dozen cookies
Roll-Out Cookie Recipe
| 2 | to 3 drops Peppermint Candy Flavoring or 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract | |
| 3 | piece Trees Cutter Set | |
| Cookie Sheet | ||
| Cooling Grid | ||
| Royal Icing* | ||
| Buttercream Icing* | ||
| Leaf Green Icing Color | ||
| Round Decorating Tip 3 | ||
| Candy Cane Sprinkles | ||
| Yellow Colored Sugars | ||
| Jumbo Nonpareils |
Prepare Roll-Out Cookie Recipe following instructions, adding peppermint candy flavoring.** Roll out dough 1/8 inch thick; cut tree shapes and arrange on cookie sheet. Bake 7 to 8 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned. Cool on cookie sheet 1 minute; remove to cooling grid and cool completely.
Prepare icings. Tint portions of each icing green, reserving some white.
With royal icing, with tip 3, outline tree with green; fill in with thinned icing. Let dry. For trees with stars, fill in star with white icing; add yellow colored sugars and let dry. Add white icing garland using tip 3 outline, swirl or zigzag; arrange candy cane sprinkles.
With green buttercream icing, spatula ice cookies smooth or cover cookies with tip 3 zigzag "tree boughs." For trees with stars, ice star with white icing; add yellow sugars, pressing lightly into the icing. If desired, add white icing garlands to trees. Arrange candy cane sprinkles and jumbo nonpareils.
*Note: Visit www.wilton.com for icing recipes.
**Variation: tint cookie dough green with Leaf Green Icing Color. Cut cookies as above. Decorate as desired with white icing, sprinkles and sugars.
Candy Cane Chain
Makes about 2 dozen cookies
Roll-Out Cookie Recipe
| 2 | to 3 drops Peppermint Candy Flavoring or 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract | |
| Candy Cane | ||
| Comfort-Grip Cutter | ||
| Cookie Sheet | ||
| Cooling Grid | ||
| Red and White Cookie Icing | ||
| Red and White Candy Melts, melted | ||
| Ruby and White Pearlized Sugar | ||
| Red and White Nonpareils | ||
| Buttercream Icing* |
Prepare Roll-Out Cookie Recipe following instructions, adding peppermint candy flavoring. Roll out dough 1/8 inch thick; cut candy cane shapes and arrange on cookie sheet. Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned. Cool on cookie sheet 1 minute; remove to cooling grid and cool completely.
To decorate with Cookie Icing or melted Candy Melts, drizzle in zigzag pattern or completely fill in stripes.
To decorate with Sugars and Nonpareils, spatula ice cookies smooth. Arrange sugars or nonpareils in stripe pattern**; lightly press into icing.
*Note: Visit www.wilton.com for icing recipes.
**To make it easier to place sugars and nonpareils, pour into Disposable Decorating Bag. Cut small hole in tip of bag and move the bag over the area to be covered.
Candy Canes, Peppermint Ribbons and Evergreen Treats offer a minty mix of holiday cookies while Santa Claus and Frosty Friends Candy Cane Molds dress up everyone's favorite yuletide treats. Candy Cane Candy Molds instructions are available on package or on www.wilton.com.
