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You are here: Home / Nourishing Recipes / Baking / Cookies / Easy Candy Cane Whipped Shortbread Cookies

November 21, 2020 ·

Easy Candy Cane Whipped Shortbread Cookies

Cookies· Baking· Christmas· Desserts· Everyday Celebrations· Holidays· Nourishing Recipes

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Whipped Shortbread made with crushed candy canes

Christmas cookies with bits of crushed candy canesThis delightful twist on classic melt-in-your-mouth shortbread cookies is equal parts easy, delicious, and pretty. Nothing fussy with these Candy Cane Whipped Shortbread cookies! These little gems are loveliest if you use traditional red, green, and white candy canes. However,  if you cannot find those, you can use white and red candy canes or even substitute peppermint candies.

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The easiest way to crush the candy canes is in a gallon freezer bag and using the blunt end of a meat tenderizer, but if you don’t have one of those, you can use a rolling pin or even a sturdy coffee mug. You want the pieces relatively small, but not powdered!

Crushed Candy Canes

Where to find traditional red, green, and white candy canes:

Traditional peppermint candy canes with red, green, and white stripes can sometimes be hard to find! I’ve rounded up a few places that sell them online, but check your local stores first as that will probably be the most economical option. If you can’t find them locally, try Target (good price and may be able to pick up locally), Fleet Farm (the best individual price I’ve found, but you’ll have to pay for shipping unless you’ve got enough other things to order), or Amazon (you’ll be buying  108 candy canes, but hey, they can last forever, and they make pretty additions to all your wrapped gifts!). You can even buy a 2 lb bag of already crushed candy canes on Amazon if you’ve got some serious Christmas baking to do!

The key to these cookies is to make sure the dough is nice and fluffy! It will be easiest to get the dough airy if you use a stand mixer, but a hand mixer can do the trick as well. (Here’s a fun fact: I cherish my Kitchen Aid mixer that has chugged along faithfully in my kitchen for many years, ever since a friend gifted it to my husband and me for our wedding over a decade ago! These mixers can certainly be an investment upfront, but it should give you many, many years of dependable use and delicious creations!).

Once your dough is well mixed, gently fold in the crushed candy canes. You can certainly add a little more or less than I call for, but I find that four candy canes is just the right amount to give the cookies pretty pops of color without the peppermint flavor becoming overwhelming for such a delicate cookie.

Candy Cane Whipped Shortbread cookies make a lovely gift for friends and family, but if you plan to give some away, you may want to go ahead and make a double batch right away because they are that good! Serve them with a glass of milk or a steaming mug of tea for a perfect Christmastime treat.

Is your mouth watering yet? Turn on your favorite Christmas tunes, and let’s get baking!

Here’s What You’ll Need to make Candy Cane Whipped Shortbread

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

½ cup white sugar

1 ½ cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup cornstarch

Four regular size candy canes, crushed (about ¼  cup)

Heat oven to 375°. Prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat (here are the silicone mats that I use).

In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar with a hand mixer or a stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, until light and fluffy.

In a separate bowl, mix together the flour and cornstarch. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture while continuing to whip the dough until the flour mixture is completely incorporated and the dough is fluffy.

Using a spoon or spatula, gently fold in the crushed candy canes into the dough.

Drop the dough by rounded teaspoonfuls onto the prepared sheets, keeping two inches between each cookie.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, or just until the edges begin to turn golden brown. Allow the cookies to cool on the sheet for a few minutes before carefully transferring them to a cooling rack. Once the cookies are completely cooled, store in an airtight container for up to one week.


Plate of Christmas Cookies
3.5 from 2 votes
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Candy Cane Whipped Shortbread

These pretty little melt-in-your-mouth shortbread cookies will be the star of your Christmas cookie platter!

Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword Cookies, Candy Canes, Christmas Baking, Easy Cookies
Prep Time 12 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Servings 2 dozen
Calories 60 kcal
Author Cara

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (2 sticks) butter softened
  • ½ cup white sugar
  • 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup cornstarch
  • 4 regular size candy canes, crushed (about ¼ cup)

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 375°. Prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

  2. In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar with a hand mixer or a stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, until light and fluffy.
  3. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour and cornstarch. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture while continuing to whip the dough until the flour mixture is completely incorporated and the dough is fluffy.
  4. Using a spoon or spatula, gently fold in the crushed candy canes into the dough.
  5. Drop the dough by rounded teaspoonfuls onto the prepared sheets, keeping two inches between each cookie.
  6. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or just until the edges begin to turn golden brown. Allow the cookies to cool on the sheet for a few minutes before carefully transferring them to a cooling rack. Once the cookies are completely cooled, store in an airtight container for up to one week.
  7. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

These cookies are prettiest if you use red, green, and white candy canes. However,  if you cannot find those, you can use white and red candy canes or even substitute peppermint candies.

The easiest way to crush the candy canes is in a gallon freezer bag and using the blunt end of a meat tenderizer, but if you don’t have one of those, you can use a rolling pin or even a sturdy coffee mug to crush the candy. You want the pieces relatively small, but not powdered!

 


Are you looking for some more Christmas baking inspiration? Check out these amazing Cranberry Christmas Cookies right here!

Happy baking!

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P.S. Do you need a little help with staying organized with your menu planning during the holidays? Grab your free copy of my printable menu planning system!

Previous Post: « Cranberry White Chocolate Christmas Cookies
Next Post: The #1 Christmas Tradition for Families Who Love to Read »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Emily says

    November 26, 2020 at 2:59 pm

    Yum! I love shortbread of any kind, but candy cane sounds extra good! Definitely going to try these!

    • Cara says

      November 27, 2020 at 1:20 am

      5 stars
      I’m sure you and your family will really enjoy them! And they are so pretty and festive!

  2. Heather says

    December 18, 2021 at 12:51 pm

    2 stars
    My cookies spread and spread until they were the consistency of lace and I couldn’t lift them off the cookie sheet without them crumbling. Any tips as to how too prevent this?

    • Cara says

      December 18, 2021 at 2:06 pm

      Hi Heather, I’m sorry this happened to your cookies-so disappointing! It sounds like you may need to add a little extra flour to your dough, but there’s a few possibilities of what may have gone wrong. Here’s a helpful article I found from Taste of Home: https://www.tasteofhome.com/article/why-are-my-cookies-flat/
      I’ve never chilled my dough, but many people do, so that may be something to try as well.
      Thanks for reaching out, and let me know if you have more questions!

Trackbacks

  1. Link Love: My Favourite Things This Week - Knitted Bliss says:
    January 15, 2021 at 3:44 pm

    […] Like me, perhaps you found that you had a bunch of candy canes left over after taking down your tree (no judgement if you didn’t put one up, or if it’s still up, or whatever you’ve got going on- you know what’s best for you!). I went looking for a recipe that would help use up candy canes, and -presto!- here is a great shortbread recipe that didn’t need a lot of ingredients, required crushed candy canes, and is freaking delicious. So, if you have candy canes left over, this is a winner! I also think it could be really good with crushed up butterscotch candies, as well – if there’s more hard candy kicking around your home. Pinterest link is here, and the full recipe is right here. […]

  2. | Each Ordinary Moment says:
    May 1, 2021 at 1:52 pm

    […] —>Looking for something for your sweet tooth? Check out this recipe for Candy Cane Whipped Shortbread! […]

  3. Anything Goes Fruit Muffins Recipe | Each Ordinary Moment says:
    May 14, 2021 at 12:43 am

    […] Candy Cane Whipped Shortbread […]

  4. Winter Survival Kit Gift-in-a-Jar | Each Ordinary Moment says:
    May 14, 2021 at 12:44 am

    […] —> You’ll also want to check out this recipe for Candy Cane Whipped Shortbread! […]

  5. Raspberries and Cream Jello Dessert | Each Ordinary Moment says:
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  6. The #1 Christmas Tradition for Families Who Love to Read says:
    November 2, 2021 at 4:32 pm

    […] Make this tradition even more fun by snacking on some delicious Christmas cookies while you read! Here's a yummy recipe you'll love: Easy Candy Cane Whipped Shortbread Cookies […]

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    December 11, 2021 at 1:16 pm

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