Candy Cane Cookies (Squirrelly Cakes)

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup icing sugar (confectioner's sugar, powdered sugar, 10x sugar - whatever you call it where you live)
1 large egg
1 tsp. almond extract
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. peppermint extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
no taste red. paste food colouring for candy canes
green food paste for wreaths

Mix the first 6 ingredients together well by whipping butter, adding icing sugar and then egg and then flavourings. Add flour, baking powder and salt and mix well. Now divide your dough into two equal portions. To one portion, add some food colouring. If the portion with the food colouring gets too wet, add a little extra icing sugar. Now roll 1 tsp. of each colour dough into ropes about 5 1/2 inches long. Put them side by side and pinch the ends together. Twist to form a spiral. Lay on ungreased cookie sheet and shape to form a candy cane shape. For wreaths use green food colouring, all green or green and red or whatever. Twist to form spirals in the same manner as for candy canes. Lay on ungreased cookie sheet and form circles for wreaths. Bake at 350F in pre-heated oven for about 10 minutes until pale golden in colour. Cool on sheet for about 4 or 5 minutes and remove to cooling rack. Makes around 4 1/2 dozen.

Posted by Squirrelly Cakes