Recipe

December 19, 2023

Jenna Rae Cakes’ Candy Cane Thumbprint Cookies

Recipe: Jenna Rae Cakes

“If you ask us, it just isn’t Christmas without candy cane cookies! These are filled with a decadently smooth candy cane ganache that pairs perfectly with the slight crunch of the cookie.” — Jenna Hutchinson and Ashley Kosowan.

Ingredients

Cookie

  • 1 cup butter
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • ¼ tsp salt

Candy Cane Ganache

  • ⅓ cup 35% whipping cream
  • 1¾ cups white baking chocolate, chopped
  • ¾ tsp liquid candy cane (or ¼ tsp peppermint extract + ½ tsp vanilla bean paste)
  • 1–2 drops soft pink gel food coloring

Decoration

  • ½ cup white chocolate
  • ½ cup crushed candy cane

Directions

Yield: Makes 36 Cookies

Make Dough and Bake

  1. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on medium-high for 3 minutes, until mixture looks white, light and fluffy.
  2. Add egg yolks and vanilla, and mix on low until combined. Scrape bottom of bowl with spatula, add flour and salt, and mix on low until combined. Dough is fully mixed when it comes together.
  3. Scoop 1 tbsp of dough, roll to form ball, and place onto prepared baking sheet 1″ to 2″ apart. Use thumb or back of spoon to make indent in center of each cookie. This is where the ganache filling will go.
  4. Preheat oven to 350°F and place trays with cookies into fridge for 30 minutes. Bake for 6 minutes. Remove cookies from oven and use back of spoon to re-indent cookies to ensure generous indent size for ganache. Place cookies back into oven and bake for additional 5 to 6 minutes, or until cookies begin to brown. Let cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.

Make Ganache

  1. In medium saucepan over medium-high heat, heat whipping cream until it begins to steam and small bubbles form on surface.
  2. Place chocolate in medium heat-resistant bowl. Pour cream over chocolate and let sit for 30 seconds. Add liquid candy cane (or peppermint extract) and soft pink gel food coloring, and whisk until chocolate is melted and mixture is creamy and smooth.
  3. Transfer candy cane ganache into piping bag and cut off tip to create opening about ½” in diameter. Pipe candy cane ganache into each cookie indent, until filled.

Decorate Cookies

  1. In small microwave-safe bowl, melt white chocolate in 15-second increments, until smooth and creamy. Transfer to piping bag and cut off tip to create small opening. Drizzle half of cookie with white chocolate. Before chocolate hardens, sprinkle with crushed candy cane. Set decorated cookies aside for chocolate to set.
  2. Layer cookies between sheets of parchment paper and store in airtight container in fridge.
Photographer:

Angus Fergusson

Source:

This recipe is courtesy of Jenna Rae Cakes, a Winnipeg cake shop owned by sisters Jenna Hutchinson and Ashley Kosowan.

Stylist:

Food styling by Ashley Denton