Candy Cane Cookies *TOP SECRET*

Grandma & Lizzie’s Candy Cane Cookie *TOP SECRET* Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup softened butter

1 ½ cups sugar

1 egg

3 cups flour

⅛ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp cream of tartar

1 tbsp heavy cream

1 ¼ tsp vanilla

1 ½ tsp peppermint

½ tsp red gel color

Elizabeth, my darling granddaughter, how I miss you so. Please don’t cry, you’ll get tears in the cookie dough. I am sure you are missing me greatly by now. I rewrote our favorite Christmas cookie recipe just for you. Keep it in a safe place (preferably in a laminated sleeve, away from your messy cookie station). I love you, Grandma.

1. Beat the butter and sugar together.

Do you remember the first step, Lizzie? Soften the butter! Do not eat the butter stick. You know how disgusted I was when you would do that. I still remember the first time you did that. You were three, just starting to talk up a storm. It was the first time we were baking just the two of us. I told you how delicious the butter and sugar mixture is after it’s been whipped up together. Light and airy! That’s important! I start to get the butter sticks out of the packaging and to my surprise! Little teeth marks were at the top of the stick. Your proud laughter is still a vivid sound to this day. After that, every year, you made it a tradition to bite a small amount of butter off of every stick.

2. Add the egg to the butter/sugar mixture.

Please crack the egg on the counter. SOFTLY, Liz. Softly crack it!! Too many eggs have been splattered on my counters and cabinets. You’re the reason I painted the cabinets yellow. Thankfully the white wallpaper with yellow florals survived your wild crackings over the years.

3. Mix the cream of tartar and baking powder into the flour.

Don’t forget to sift! It’ll result in a smoother dough. Add the flour mix– WAIT! TURN OFF THE MIXER!! Phew. That. Was. Close. I remember when you were seven and I relinquished control of the flour. I was washing dishes a few feet behind you. My back was turned and I had full trust in your abilities with the butter and sugar. I thought it was time for you to add the flour without making a mess. Silly Grandma! I should have known you would forget to turn off the mixer. I turned around just in time for a plume of flour to go all over my small kitchen. You wept hard after that. Your big brown eyes, as round as my porcelain saucers, were highlighted by a full face of flour. Cakey tears streaming down your chubby little cheeks. I miss when you were so soft and squishy. Stop growing up!

4. Add heavy cream and divide dough.

Usually at this step we would add both extracts to the dough before splitting it in half to add the color. But, do you remember the year it had snowed over a foot? I remember it being nearly as tall as you! So small you were, must’ve been maybe four. We played outside for much longer than I promised. We came inside after building snow mermaids. As soon as the mittens were pulled off your hands I regretted my choice to let you play for so long. They were red! Red as can be and so very, very cold. Any longer and we would have had to break them off! (You always hated that joke when you were older.) After that I made another mistake… Too. Much. Hot. Chocolate. You were so hyper! Giddy to get baking. We divided the dough too early. Your favorite part was always adding the red dye and watching the off-white dough turn into bright red. We forgot the flavorings until after we dyed the dough red. You said the cookies tasted “better” that way. Sat upon the old wooden countertops, you insisted it was better because you could “choose the flavor.” You gleamed as you picked each color apart to eat separately. We made a new tradition that day.

5. Flavor and color!

I will miss your curiosity while you watch the dough change colors. It was, and always will be, my favorite part. But please, Lizzie, please do not lick any drops off your fingers!! Elizabeth Maeve! You never did learn to break that habit. You’d think your face has puckered too many times as the bitter bite of extract nipped at the tongue. Maybe you will learn next year. Do you remember how we would flavor them? Vanilla extra in the white dough, peppermint in the red. Add the peppermint and food dye at the same time to avoid over mixing!

6. Twist the colors together!

Personally, this is my favorite part. I love the repetitive motion of making a one-inch dough ball of each color, rolling them into snakes then twisting them together! Finally placing them on a parchment lined pan in the shape of a candy cane. Ah! How I long to do this with you and the grandkids. My last wish was always to have one more Christmas to make cookies with the family before I passed on.

7. Chill the cookies for an hour then bake for 10-12 minutes at 350°.

While you finish the final steps, my dear, I would like to tell you something important. I am, I suppose was, terrified of leaving you. I fear you will let this beat you down. I saw how you were when your grandfather passed and I hope you will not fall so hard again. I love you so very much, Elizabeth Maeve.

8. Let the cookies cool before packing them in a container…

But not before you sneak one with a small glass of milk.

As you take the cookies out of the oven and allow them to cool, allow me to give you some advice. Live a full life. Share your recipes, memories, thoughts and feelings. Everyone deserves to hear the wisdom flowing through your soul. Do not be afraid, for everyone’s time will come to an end. Now, eat your cookies and share them with the kiddos for me.