I’ve been day dreaming of making candy canes for a little over a month now. After watching this youtube video and researching on the web, only to find very little on the subject, I decided it would be a good idea to try and make them myself. I invited some girlfriends to join in the festivities, but my friend Nicole was the only one who could make it that day. Although the candy canes themselves did not turn out quite how we were expecting–large globs of a crusty, sugary mass–we decided to turn them into cookies. We made sugar cookies with peppermint butter cream frosting and sprinkled the candy cane bits into the batter and then again on top of the butter cream frosting before we sandwiched them. “Barbie cookies” was the first thing that came to mind to us–the frosting was such a vibrant pink it looked like it could burn us! What it did do was give me a sugar high I haven’t experienced since I was about 10– feeling giddy, anxious, started talking a mile a minute, and tired all at the same time. I wonder if by just being in the same room all day with all that sugar flying through the air I somehow inhaled it too…probably. (On a side note, my friend Lauren who is a professional baker just had about 4 root canals after never having a cavity her entire life. The dentist told her it is from the sugar that is in the air of her bakery!)
Nicole asked a friend of hers who is a pastry chef about the candy cane experience. He told her that Portland is actually a really tough place to make candy–the humidity will make the sugar crumbly much faster than normal. While this may be true, I think there were so many variables missing that when I try again next year (or maybe again for Valentines? 
I will be ready–or at least in the know about some things to expect. Sometimes it is necessary to just jump right in–if you don’t try it, how will you know? There is only so much research, reading, and learning one can try to soak in before trying something. But I think (and at least this is true for myself) the real learning comes from just doing it. Woot!
Sugar Cookies via my grandmother
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup non-salted butter
1/2 cup earth balance shortening
1 egg
2 1/4 cups all purpose, non-bleached flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 – 1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
Cream sugars, butter and shortening until a light yellow color. Add the egg and extract, beat well. Add and mix the dry ingredients. You can either roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface and with a cookie cutter or a small cup, cut out the cookies; or, you can take a teaspoon of dough, roll it into a small ball in your hand and flatten it with the end of a cup dipped in sugar on the cookie sheet.
Bake at 375 F for 8 minutes or until the edges are slightly browned. The tops shouldn’t brown, they will be white like little full moons.
Peppermint buttercream frosting via epicurious
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
2 drops (or more) red food coloring
1/2 cup crushed red-and-white-striped candy canes or hard peppermint candies (about 4 ounces)
