Step 1
Divide one batch of Butter Cookie Dough in half. Add four to five drops of red food coloring to one half. Add 1/2 teaspoon of peppermint extract to the other half. Mix each half well.
Step 2
Help kids roll a tablespoonful of each color dough on a floured surface into a 4-inch-long rope.
Step 3
Show kids how to twist the ropes together and bend them to form a candy-cane shape. (Bend and place them directly on a greased or parchment-lined cookie sheet.)
Step 4
Sprinkle the candy-cane cookies with crushed peppermint candy or crushed candy canes.
Step 5
Bake at 375°F for 10 to 12 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool completely before removing from the baking sheet.
Christmas Trees
Step 1
Roll one batch of the Butter Cookie Dough to 1/8-inch thickness on a floured surface. Kids can help with the rolling.
Step 2
Show kids how to cut the dough with a Christmas-tree-shaped cookie cutter. Re-roll any leftover dough.
Step 3
Place cookies on a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 375°F for seven to nine minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.
Step 4
Decorate with All-Purpose Icing tinted with green paste food coloring colored sugar sprinkles, and chocolate frosting. (Thin the chocolate frosting with a bit of water, place in a resealable plastic bag, and snip off a corner of the bag to pipe chocolate onto the cookies.)
