Peppermint Stick Cookie

Overview
A special cookie to make during holidays that has peppermint flavor. The peppermint flavor comes from the mint extract added to the cookie dough and the candy cane bits used for decoration on outside of the cookie.  These cookies do look like peppermint sticks.

Peppermint Stick Cookies

Ingredients
2 sticks salted butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 1/4 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon mint extract
Green and Red food color

For decoration
1 cup confectionery sugar
1 - 3 tablespoon water
6 red candy canes
6 green candy canes

Steps
1. In a large bowl mix the sugar, vanilla extract and butter until it is fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time until well blended. Add in the flour mixed with salt gradually and mix well till it is well blended and dough is formed.
2. Divide dough into half. Take one half make it into a disk cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
3. Take the remaining half dough and divide into half again. In one half add 1 teaspoon mint extract and red color and in the other halt add 1 teaspoon mint extract and green color. Mix each half separately and cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Refrigerate all doughs for about an hour till it is firm.
4. Heat oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit.
5. Cut uncolored dough in 12 equal wedges. cut each colored disk into 6 equal wedges.
7. On a lightly floured surface, roll 1 plain wedge and 1 colored wedge into 15 inch long ropes(keep rest of dough refrigerated). Place each rope side by side twist together from one end to the other. Place on  un greased baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough.
8. Bake 12 - 15 minutes until edges are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.
9. To decorate the cookies mix the confectionery sugar with water  one tablespoon at a time to make a smooth thick paste. Crush the candy canes each color separately and keep in separate bowls.
10. Dip about 1/2 inch of each end of the cookie in this confectionery smooth mixture and then into the crushed candy canes. Decorate the red twisted cookies in the red crushed candy canes and the green twisted cookies into the green crushed candy canes. Placed on waxed paper to dry. Enjoy.