Peppermint Canes & Star Mint Cooki..

Cooking Instructions

Beat butter, sugar, egg, the yolk and extract in a large bowl with mixer on medium speed until creamy. On low, beat in flour and salt until blended. 

Divide dough in half. Put each half into a medium bowl. 

Candy canes: Divide dough in 1 bowl in half. Wrap half and refrigerate. Put other half in a bowl; stir in green food color. Refrigerate 30 minutes.

Star mint cookies: Using dough in other bowl, with floured hands roll a level 1/3 cup into a 12-in. rope. Transfer to a wax-paper–lined baking sheet. Divide rest of dough in bowl in half. Knead red food color into 1 portion; leave other white. Roll red dough into a 12-in. rope; repeat with white dough. Place ropes on baking sheet. Cut all ropes in half into 6-in. lengths. Chill 1 hour or until hard.

Heat oven to 350°F.

Candy canes: Roll rounded teaspoons green and white dough into balls; chill until firm. For each cane, roll a green ball and a white ball on a floured surface to make two 6-in. ropes. Lay ropes side by side, overlap end of 1 rope on the other, and gently roll both ropes away from you, letting them twist together. Lift to ungreased baking sheet; curve 1 end. Make 7 more; place 2 in. apart on sheet.

Bake 11 to 12 minutes or until just set and lightly browned on bottoms. Cool completely on sheet on a wire rack. Repeat with remaining dough.

Star mint cookies: Remove 1 red rope and 1 thick white rope. Cut each lengthwise in half. Cut each half in thirds lengthwise in wedge-shaped strips. On wax paper, line up strips, rounded sides down, alternating colors, and touching. Put 1 thin white rope in center of strips. Place wedge-shaped strips around center rope (no need to be perfect). Roll up, using wax paper to help roll and compress log evenly. Freeze 20 minutes. Repeat with rest of ropes. Trim ends, then cut logs in 1/4-in.-thick slices. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheet.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes until set and golden on bottoms. Cool on sheet on a wire rack. Repeat with rest of dough.

Storage tip: Store airtight at cool room temperature with wax paper between layers up to 1 week, or freeze up to 3 months.

Two different cookies from one dough.