Candy-Stripe Cookie Sticks

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ml100750_tovilsalt_1204_candy_stripe_cookie_sticks.jpg
Photo: Helen Norman
Yield:
30 cookie sticks

Festive candy-stripe cookie sticks are a holiday favorite, but can be enjoyed as a treat any time of year.

Ingredients

  • 8 large egg whites

  • 2 cups sugar

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour

  • Pinch of coarse salt

  • 10 tablespoons (1 ¼ sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

  • ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream

  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

  • Red gel-paste food coloring

Directions

  1. Preheat oven 400 degrees. Combine egg whites and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment; beat on medium until foamy. Reduce speed to low. Add flour and salt; mix until just combined. Add butter, cream, and vanilla; beat until combined.

  2. Transfer 1 cup batter to a small bowl; set remaining batter aside. Stir in red coloring until desired color is reached. Transfer tinted batter to a pastry bag fitted with a small plain round tip. Secure end of pastry bag with rubber band; set aside.

  3. Place a 3-by-6-inch rectangle (cut out a stencil to use as a guide) on a baking sheet lined with a Silpat baking mat. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of plain batter into the rectangle; spread with a small offset spatula. Repeat. Pipe diagonal tinted stripes onto each rectangle. Bake cookies until pale golden, 6 to 8 minutes.

  4. Immediately loosen edges with a spatula, and flip cookie over. Starting from one long side, roll cookie into a stick. Place seam side down, on a clean work surface; let cool until set. Quickly repeat with second cookie.

  5. Repeat process, tinting and baking 2 or 3 cookies at a time.

Cook's Notes

Because the cookies will set quickly, bake and shape them in small batches. Cookies can be stored between layers of parchment in airtight containers at room temperature, up to 1 week. They should not be stored in the freezer; they're too delicate and freezing them will make them lose their crispness.

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