Name: Candy Cane Thumbprint Cookies
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 70 min
Ingredients: 2/3 cup butter (softened); 1/2 cup sugar; 1/4 tsp salt; 1 egg (beaten); 1 tsp vanilla extract; 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour; Garnish: finely crushed candy canes; 1/4 cup butter (softened); 1/4 tsp peppermint extract; 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar; 2-3 tsp milk (I used half & half)

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These Candy Cane Thumbprint Cookies are a soft, buttery sugar cookie topped with a peppermint buttercream frosting and sprinkles of crushed candy canes. Tender and delicious, these peppermint candy cane cookies are guaranteed to be a holiday hit!

Each year at my annual Christmas cookie exchange, I try out a new recipe to share with friends. This year I picked this candy cane cookie recipe from one of my Gooseberry Patch Christmas recipe cookbooks.

These delicate cookies have a great mix of textures. The mildly sweet butter cookie is a wonderful contrast to the sweet peppermint buttercream topping and the candy canes add a nice crunch. This cookie is definitely a keeper!

*Recipe from 101 Christmas Recipes by Gooseberry Patch

Candy Cane Thumbprint cookies on a plate

A few pictures from my cookie exchange this year…

That’s a whole lot of deliciousness!

Fabulous friends!

Beautiful and creative displays

and new recipes and treats to share with family and friends! If you don’t currently take part in a cookie exchange, then why not start one of your own?! It’s a whole lot of fun! Don’t worry, if you don’t want to go into a sugar coma, there are places that you can donate trays of cookies that would be very grateful this time of year: nursing homes, homeless shelters, churches, etc.

Merry Christmas from my family to yours! xo~

How To Make Candy Cane Thumbprint Cookies

Ingredients:

For the cookie

2/3 cup butter softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Garnish: finely crushed candy canes

For the filling

1/4 cup butter softened
1/4 tsp peppermint extract
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2-3 tsp milk I used half & half

Instructions:

With an electric mixer on low speed, blend softened butter, sugar, and salt. Mix in egg and vanilla. Beat in as much flour as possible; stir in remaining flour. Cover and chill for one hour. Shape dough into one-inch balls; place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes, until lightly golden around edges (very lightly golden…these should be soft when cooled.) Remove from oven; make a thumbprint in each cookie with thumb. Cool. Pipe filling into centers with a star tip. Sprinkle with crushed candy canes.

For the Filling:

Blend butter and extract. Gradually add powdered sugar and half & half to a piping consistency. Sprinkle crushed candy canes on the frosting immediately so that they stick before the icing starts to firm just a bit.

How To Freeze Thumbprint Cookies

These cookies freeze beautifully. If you want to bake and freeze them ahead of time, just wait to add the crushed candy cane topping until right before serving. To freeze, store in a sealed container lined with wax paper for up to three months.