Candy cane shortbread cookies
Candy cane shortbread cookies
Heidy Ho Foodies! If your sweet tooth is getting a bit of a workout at this time of the year, then why not try making Candy cane shortbread cookies! They look just like candy, except that they are filled with cookie goodness!
Because of the shape of these cookies, it can be very difficult to transfer them from one surface to another pre-baking, but to make them a little easier to handle, ensure that you do not roll out the dough too thinly. I recommend a thickness of at least 5mm.
Candy cane shortbread cookies
Ingredients:
Shortbread cookies: 1 ¼ cups plain flour, ¾ cup almond meal, 125g butter softened, chopped, 1/3 cup icing sugar, 1 egg, 1 tbsp milk
Icing: 1 eggwhite, 1 ½ cups icing sugar, food colouring
Steps: To make cookies: process the flour, almond meal, butter, icing sugar, egg and milk until well combined. Then knead the dough into a ball on a lightly floured surface. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Roll the dough out between two sheets of baking paper until a 5 mm thickness. Cut Candy cane shapes from dough using cookie cutter and place on a baking tray lined with baking paper, 3 cm apart.
Bake in a moderate oven, 180 degrees Celsius for 8-10 minutes. Leave to cool on wire racks. Spread biscuits with icing when cold
To make icing: beat 1 egg white in a small bowl with electric mixer until just frothy then gradually add sifted icing sugar until mixture forms stiff peaks. Tint ¼ of the icing with 3-4 drops of red food dye and leave remainder white. Spread the white icing onto the cooled biscuits, then use the red icing to give the striped candy cane effect.
Makes about 50
