Candy Cane Twist Cookies

The Candy Cane Twist Cookies are stick-shaped treats inspired by the classic Christmas candy cane. They are not traditionally Italian, but I can provide you with the basic recipe and perhaps suggest a small Italian variation, for example, adding a touch of almond flavor. Here is the recipe to make them:

Ingredients

• 225 g of butter at room temperature
• 120 g of powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract (for the Italian variation you could use almond flavor)
• 1 teaspoon of peppermint extract (optional)
• 1 egg
• 375 g of “00” flour
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• Red food coloring (as needed)
• Coarse sugar or powdered sugar for decoration

Preparation

1. In a large bowl, cream the butter with the powdered sugar until the mixture is soft and light.
2. Add the vanilla (or almond) extract and the peppermint extract (if you decide to use it) and blend well. Incorporate the egg, mixing until it is completely absorbed.
3. In a separate bowl, mix the flour with salt, then gradually add it to the butter mixture, continuing to mix until a homogeneous dough is formed.
4. Divide the dough into two equal portions. In the first part of the dough, add a few drops of red food coloring and knead until a uniform color is achieved.
5. Take two pieces of dough, one white and one red, and form each into a long rope. Twist the two ropes together, shaping them into a candy cane. Cut to about 15 cm in length for each cookie.
6. Place the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, leaving some space between each one.
7. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C for about 10-12 minutes, or until the edges start to slightly brown.
8. Once removed from the oven, let them cool on the baking sheet for a couple of minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
9. If you prefer, you can roll the still-warm cookies in coarse sugar or simply dust them with powdered sugar once cooled.

Curiosity

The Candy Cane, or sugar stick, is a sweet typical of the Christmas period in English-speaking countries, and its shape is reminiscent of the shepherds’ staff. Tradition has it that it was created in 1670 by a choir master in Germany to keep children quiet during Christmas Mass.

If you want to pair a wine with these festive cookies, you could opt for a sweet passito or a Moscato d’Asti, which with their sweetness and aromatic notes go well with the sweetness and vanilla (or almond) of these cookies.