Every Christmas season my younger sister and I would spend a couple of days at Grandma Bettye’s house baking holiday cookies. There were many different varieties and each year we would come up with new recipes to try—but it is the candy cane cookies that stand out most clearly in my mind. It turns out that my grandma made the very same cookies with my dad and his little brother when they were young.

This year we decided to continue the tradition with the girls using the same recipe Grandma has used for generations. The candy cane cookies were a big hit. They are fun to make and equally delicious to eat!

Here is our adaptation of the recipe:

1. ✦ Preheat oven to 375
   

2. ✦ Mix together the following...
   

3. 1 cup softened butter
   

4. 1 cup organic powered sugar
   

5. 1 egg
   

6. 1 1/2 tsp. almond extract
   

7. 1 tsp. vanilla
   

8. ✦ Mix together and stir in...
   

9. 2 1/2 cups organic unbleached white flour
   

10. 1 tsp. salt
    

11. ✦ Divide dough in half. In one half add...
    

12. 1/2 tsp natural (pink) food coloring
    

13. ✦ Roll 1 tsp. of each color dough to make a strips approximately 4 inches long. Lightly press the strips together and then gently twist. Curve down the top to form a hook. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet for nine minutes.
    

14. ✦ Sprinkle with powdered sugar or crushed peppermint candy