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Gooey Candy Cane Cookies

These Gooey Candy Cane Cookies are the perfect cookie for your holiday party or Christmas Cookie Exchange.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Course: Dessert
Servings: 36
Author: Wendy

Ingredients

  • 2 ½ cup all purpose flour

  • 2 teaspoon baking powder

  • 8 oz cream cheese (softened)

  • ½ cup unsalted butter (softened)

  • 1 ½ cup granulated sugar

  • 2 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

  • ¼ teaspoon peppermint oil

  • ½ teaspoon sea salt (fine-grain)

  • 1 large egg
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 ½ cup powdered sugar

  • Red and pink gel food coloring

  • 1 bag small candy canes

Instructions

  • Sift powdered sugar
  • Crush candy canes
  • Sift crushed candy canes for small shards and candy cane dust
  • Transfer sifted powdered sugar into a small bowl.
  • Prep cookies sheets with parchment paper
  • Lower oven rack to the lower 1/3rd of the oven.
  • Whisk the four and baking soda together in a medium bowl. Continue to whisk until it is well blended.
  • Set aside.
  • Cream the cream cheese and butter together using the electric mixer. Continue to work with the cream cheese and butter until they are well blended, creamy, and smooth. Slowly add in sugar, vanilla, peppermint oil, and salt. Mix until all of the ingredients are well combined, light, and fluffy. (Scrape the bowl as necessary.)
  • Beat, on medium speed, while adding in the egg and egg yolk. (About 2 minutes) The mixture should be creamy and light. This step develops the base structure of the cookies.
  • Reduce the mixer speed to low. Slowly begin to add in the flour mixture. Mix until all ingredients are just completely incorporated. (The dough will be sticky.)
  • Take out 1/4th of the cookie dough putting it in a small bowl. Add several drops of the red food coloring stirring to blend the color throughout all of the dough. Cover this bowl and the other bowl of cookie dough with plastic wrap. Put in the refrigerator overnight or at least several hours.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Using the mini- cookie scoop measure out the non-tinted dough. With your hands roll each scoop of dough into an equal sized ball. (This step will ensure that all cookies are the same size)
  • With your thumb push a depression in each ball of dough. Now, repeat this step using your fingers to enlarge the depression in the cookie. This depression will hold a scoop of the tinted dough.
  • Work quickly with the tinted dough while it is still chilled and firm. Using a small measuring teaspoon measure out equal sizes of d the tinted dough and place them in the indented area in the non-tinted dough. With your finger press the tinted dough further into the hole in the cookie.
  • On each cookie, one at a time, squeeze some of the non-tinted dough to the top of the cookie. Smooth this over the tinted dough. Enclose and seal it closed. (If necessary take a small amount of extra dough and add just a small amount to the top of the cookie. Follow the previous steps to seal the hole in the cookie) Immediately after this process roll the cookie dough into a ball. Roll each completed dough ball in the powdered sugar to coat. Transfer the coated cookie balls to the prepared cookie sheets leaving 2 inches between each.
  • Bake on 350 degrees for about 14-16 minutes. (Or until the cookies have become puffed and crackly.) Do not over bake.
  • The cookies will be soft in the center and still light around the edges. If you lift the cookies the bottoms will be only lightly browned. Move the cookie sheets to a wire rack allowing the cookies to cool for about 10 minutes.
  • While the cookies are still warm sprinkle small pieces of the peppermint candy on the cookies. Use a toothpick to press the larger pieces of the crushed candy cane into the cracked center of the cookies. Sprinkle each cookie with the powdered sugar and candy cane dust.
  • Move the cookies from the cookie sheet to the wire rack. Use a metal spatula to do this. Set aside to cool completely. Transfer the cooled cookies to an airtight container to store.
  • Dust the cookies with candy cane dust prior to serving.