Hello my sugar-dusted friends, today I've got a recipe that screams holiday festivities. We're embarking on a delectable journey to create soft, chewy, and oh-so-festive White Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies. These beauties are the quintessential holiday treat, sprucing up your Christmas gatherings with a sweet and minty punch!
Gather up your reindeer (I mean, ingredients):
- ½ cup unsalted butter (softened, not melted, like a snowman basking in the sun)
- ½ cup shortening (the secret weapon for ultimate cookie texture)
- 1 cup white sugar (because what's a cookie without some sweetness)
- ¾ cup brown sugar (for that rich, deep flavor we all dig)
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract (like the touch of magic in every Christmas tale)
- 1 tsp peppermint extract (bringing in a winter wonderland vibe)
- 2 large eggs
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (the building block of our delicious cookies)
- 1 tsp baking soda (this is what makes our cookies rise and shine)
- ½ tsp salt (an underrated flavor booster)
- ¾ cup crushed candy canes (the superstar of our show)
- 1 cup white chocolate chips (plus more for the grand finale)
Let the magic begin:
Warm-Up Phase
Set your oven to 350F, and get your cookie sheets lined with parchment paper - Santa's preparing his sleigh!
Creamy Wonders
Take a big bowl, and combine butter, shortening, white sugar, and brown sugar. Beat them until they're fluffed up nicely and feeling lighter than a snowflake (around 2 minutes, to be precise).
Sprinkling the Magic
Pop in the vanilla extract and peppermint extract. Then, introduce the eggs into the mix one at a time. Baking, like Christmas, is all about pacing and enjoying the moment.
Baking Essentials
Now, turn your mixer's speed to the 'chill' mode (a.k.a low speed) and fold in the flour, baking soda, and salt. Remember, if the dough sticks to your fingers as you press it, add a touch more flour, one spoonful at a time.
Festive Touch
Stir in those glorious crushed candy canes and white chocolate chips into the dough. It should look like Christmas morning in a bowl!
Cookie-time
Scoop out the dough into 1 - 1.5 tablespoons in size, roll into balls, and put them 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets.
Baking Glory
Let them bake, taking in the warmth for 8-10 minutes, just until the tops seem ready. Pull them out, crown each cookie with a few extra white chocolate chips, and let them cool for 10 minutes on the cookie sheet before transferring to a wire rack.
NOTE
For jumbo cookies on those super festive days, scoop out about 3 tablespoons of dough for each. Mold them taller rather than wider and bake for 12-14 minutes.
Freezer-friends
Want to save some holiday cheer for later? Follow steps 1-5, form the dough balls, put them in a freezer bag, remove excess air, and pop them into the freezer for up to 2 months. Ready to indulge? Just preheat the oven, place the cookies on sheets, and bake from frozen. They might need an extra minute or two in the warmth.
That's it, my friends! You're all set to create your own Christmas magic with these White Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies. Happy baking and Happy Holidays!