Looking for a new holiday cookie?  Try making these delicious candy cane cookies for your next holiday party!

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

2 egg yolks

¾ cup sugar

2 ¼ cups unbleached flour

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon salt

Red food coloring

To make the dough:

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
2. With an electric mixer, mix together the butter and the sugar.
3. Add the egg yolks and vanilla.  Mix well, scraping the sides of the bowl several times.
4. Sift the flour and salt together in a separate bowl and slowly add it to the mixture in the mixing bowl.  Scrape the sides of the bowl several times.  Mix well.

To make the candy canes:

1. Divide the dough in half, keeping one half in the mixing bowl and placing the other on a counter.
2. Add red food coloring to the dough in the mixing bowl. Blend together until the desired color is reached.
3. Roll both the uncolored dough and the red dough into rounded strips, a bit thicker than a pencil and about 3-4 inches long.
4. Put a red strip next to an uncolored strip and twist them around each other.
5. Shape the twisted stripes into a candy cane shape and place on an ungreased cookie sheet.
6. Cook for ten minutes, and allow them to cool slightly before removing them from the cookie sheet to prevent breakage.
7. Enjoy!