These Cherry Lemon Candy Cane Cookies are a lightly sweetened, lemon shortbread cookie studded with dried cherries. They’re an easy-to-make, fun-to-eat Christmas cookie with a sandy, melt in your mouth texture.
This recipe is adapted from a fun Christmas cookie magazine, Simply Sweet Christmas Cookies & Treats. Liz from Hoosier Homemade said she saw an ad for my cookbook, Simply Sweet Dream Puffs, in a Christmas cookie magazine. So when I was shopping at Costco recently, I couldn’t resist buying a copy.
There were lots of great ideas and recipes I wanted to try in the magazine, but the Cherry Lemon Candy Canes really appealed to me because I love dried cherries and they were fun, festive, and easy to make.
To make shaping the cookies easier, be sure and chop the dried cherries fairly small. I like to use kitchen shears to cut the dried cherries into pieces rather than chop them with a knife.
I rarely use store bought icing because homemade icing tastes so much better. But red icing can be difficult to make at home without it tasting like red food coloring. So I decided to use Wilton Cookie Icing to decorate the cookies.
I like that the Wilton Cookie Icing has a nozzle so it’s easy pipe the candy cane stripes without using a piping bag or tips. I also liked that it didn’t have a strong food color taste and it set up really nicely on the cookies. Just be sure and follow the directions on the bottle, and warm and knead the icing before using.
Don’t skip the dough refrigeration time. It’s a tender, crumbly, sandy cookie and needs the 2 hours of refrigeration so the dough is easy to handle.
This cookie would be fun to make with kids. It’s also perfect for anyone that prefers their treats lightly sweetened.
Cherry Lemon Candy Cane Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup chopped dried cherries
- Red cookie icing*
Instructions
- Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add 1 cup powdered sugar, beating until light and fluffy.
- Add egg, lemon zest, and vanilla; beat until blended. Gradually add flour, beating until blended. Stir in cherries.
- Wrap dough in plastic wrap, and chill 2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 375°. Shape dough into 30 (5- x ½-inch) ropes. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets; bend over tops of ropes to look like candy canes.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges of cookies begin to brown. Cool on baking sheets 2 minutes. Transfer to wire racks, and cool completely (about 20 minutes.) Decorate candy cane cookies with icing.
Notes
More Christmas cookies you might like:
Lemon Glazed Christmas Wreath Cookies, Barbara Bakes
Chocolate Cherry Oatmeal Bars, Barbara Bakes
Fresh Cranberry Lemon Cookies, What Megan’s Making
Cherry Almond Shortbread Cookies, Sally’s Baking Addiction
Lemon Rosemary Shortbread Cookies, Gimme Some Oven
Bobbie Cox
Collecting new recipes for Christmas 2016 and Barbara’s ALL sound so GOOD. My copier has been busy and now to find ingredients I might not have. Can’t wait to try so many of her recipes. Tired of making same ol’ same ol ones & wanted to try some new ones. Many thanks, Barbara for all the delicious new ideas & recipes!
Annamaria @ Bakewell Junction
Barbara,
These look fun and delicious. Hope you had a wonderful Christmas.
Annamaria
Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella
Oh that icing is so interesting! I must buy some next time I come over to America. You guys have so many more products! They’re adorable mum. MayI have one with my cup of tea please? xxx
Nagi@RecipeTinEats
I like that these cookies are the “melts-in-your-mouth” type. I’m definitely adding this to my Christmas bake list!
Rocky Mountain Woman
Those are so cute! I came by looking for something to make for the grandkids this weekend and boy did I find it!
Annamaria @ Bakewell Junction
Barbara,
Your cookies look so adorable. I’ve never baked with dried cherries. Your recipe looks like a great way for me to start.
Annamaria
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Annamaria! I love dried cherries in just about anything.
Melissa @ My Recent Favorite books
The cookies are so pretty! =)
Medeja
Oh these cookies look so cute!
Maria
So pretty and festive!