Kids and a Mom in the Kitchen #128: Peppermint Candy Cane Cookies

Time for Kids and a Mom in the Kitchen

I can not believe it has been over a year since I have posted a Kids and a Mom in the Kitchen! Granted, we aren't in the kitchen near as much as we used to be. I hope to be able to spend more time in the kitchen with the children this coming year. It may be a bit easier with our Exploring Countries and Cultures curriculum from My Father's World. We are traveling around the world, learning about different countries, and when we finish up each country we are supposed to make a meal with some of the foods popular in that country. For instance, we did have tacos at our Mexican fiesta when we were done with Mexico. Hopefully soon we will have some dishes from Canada. And maybe, just maybe, I will find the time to post.

Today's recipe has nothing to do with our ECC lessons. Melk the Christmas Monkey has been helping us to focus on the coming of Jesus this Advent season, and yesterday he wanted us to make Candy Cane Cookies. I used to make these with my older children. We would take them to church for the cookie trays we gave out while Christmas caroling, then we got to eat from the leftovers everyone brought while having hot cocoa when we got back to the church.

While we were reading The Candymaker's Gift a couple of weeks ago, I was reminded of these cookies, and was just waiting for the right opportunity for Melk to ask the children to make them. This recipe comes from the book, though I did tweak it by adding the peppermint extract.

Here is what you need to make these cookies:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar 1 cup butter, softened (2 sticks) 1 tsp vanilla 1 tsp peppermint extract 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp baking soda 2 1/2 cups flour 1 tsp red food coloring

They are a bit excited to be doing Kids and a Mom in the Kitchen again. Will have to do this more often.

First we combined the powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, peppermint extract, and egg.

The children each got a turn to use the mixer.

(By the way, powdered sugar tends to fly all over the place, oops. Amelia wasn't impressed.)

Then we set the sugar/butter mixture aside. We combined the dry ingredients in a smaller bowl.

This includes the salt, flour, and baking soda.

We then combined the flour mixture in with the butter/sugar mixture.

It sure did take a while to get that flour all mixed in so it would form a ball.

Then we separated it into two equal parts. I added 1 tsp of red food coloring to one half.

After it was nicely mixed in, I took both dough balls and covered them (separately) with wax paper.

It was supposed to be in the fridge for 1 hour. We had to wait several hours as dinner was in the oven and then we had to eat.

We finally got a chance to make our cookies. I separated both balls of dough into 1-tablespoon sized portions, all ready for the children to roll out into pencil sized ropes.

Yes, Melk got to help too.

We twisted the strands together and gave it a hook to create a cane or a J, depending on your perspective.

They were baked in a 350 degree oven for about 9 minutes. I switched the cookie sheets halfway through the cooking time.

Directions:

1- Mix sugar, butter, vanilla, peppermint, and egg in a bowl. 2- In another bowl mix dry ingredients, then add to sugar/butter mixture 3- Stir (and stir and stir and stir) until it forms a ball. 4- Divide dough in two equal parts. Place half in another bowl and add red food coloring. Mixto incorporate well. 5- Cover with wax paper and refrigerate for 1 hour. We kept it in the fridge for several hours til we were ready to make it and it was fine, though it took a little extra playing to make it soft to roll out. 6- Heat oven to 350. 7- Using a tablespoon of dough, roll with hands and fingers into the shape and size of a pencil. Place one red and one white strand side by side and twist gently. Curve one end to make cane. 8- Bake on an UNgreased cookie sheet 8-11 minutes. I switch the cookie sheets around halfway through. It took about 9 minutes. You don't want them to turn brown, so watch them closely

I am linking up to:

   

Melt in Your Mouth Monday
Friday Food Frenzy at Close to Home
Family Fun Friday at Happy and Blessed Home