Candy Cane Sugar Cookies

These Candy Cane Sugar Cookies are so fun and festive, but are also really easy to make. A classic sugar cookie is topped with delicious vanilla buttercream. Red sanding sugar is added to help make it look extra sparkly and colorful. They couldn't be simpler to make!

You'll make the sugar cookie dough first and let that chill. Once the dough is rolled out and the cookies are cut and baked you'll make the vanilla buttercream. Then it's just a matter of piping on diagonal lines of frosting and adding the sanding sugar.

The recipe can also be used for any Cut Out Sugar Cookie!

A FEW NOTES BEFORE WE GET STARTED

• Room Temperature Ingredients:
  • Butter: It’s important that your butter is softened. In a pinch, you can put your butter in the microwave for about 5 seconds on each side, but watch closely to make sure it is just softening and not melting.
  • Egg: You want to make sure that your egg is at room temperature to ensure that it is properly incorporated into your batter. If you forget to leave it out before you start baking, place it in a bowl of warm water for about 15 minutes until it becomes room temperature.
• Measuring Your Ingredients: I strongly encourage that you use a kitchen scale to measure your ingredients and ensure that you have the most accurate measurements possible.
  • However, if you don’t have a scale on hand and will be using cup measurements, make sure to use the “spoon and sweep” method when measuring to avoid packing in too much of any dry ingredient.
• Oven Temperature: Make sure to preheat your oven for at least 15 minutes before you start baking.
  • I recommend purchasing an oven thermometer to get to know your oven so you can adjust your baking temperatures accordingly. Some ovens run slightly warmer or colder so its important to know yours to make sure your baked goods come out right.

Preheat oven to 350º F. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, blend together the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add in the egg and vanilla and mix until combined.

With the mixer on low, sift in the flour, cornstarch, and salt and mix just until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Flatten the dough into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for 30 minutes.

Place a piece of parchment or a dough mat down and lightly flour it. Place the chilled dough on top, sprinkle some flour over it and roll it out until it is about ¼" thick.

Sprinkle a little more flour where needed as you roll it out, making sure it isn't sticking to the parchment or mat that's under it.

Once the dough is rolled out, slide a cookie sheet under the mat or parchment and place it in the freezer for a few minutes or the fridge for 10 minutes. This will help firm up the dough again before you cut out any shapes.

Cut out candy canes and gently transfer them to a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes depending on the cookie size. Let cookies cool for 10 minutes before moving to a cooling rack.

Cream the butter until smooth. With the mixer on low, slowly add in the confectioners sugar by the spoonful followed by the vanilla and cream. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix just until combined.

Place each cookie on a piece of parchment as you frost it. Transfer buttercream to a pastry bag with a Wilton #8 or similar piping tip. Pipe diagonal lines on the cookie, leaving the same thickness of space between them as the line itself.

Sprinkle red sanding sugar over the frosting until the lines are fully covered. Carefully shake the excess sugar off of the cookie and onto the parchment. Use the parchment to transfer the leftover sugar to a small bowl and use again.

Pipe more frosting in the gaps of the cookie. Use a toothpick to gently remove any pieces that are overhanging. Repeat this process with the remaining cookies. Enjoy!

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