The holidays are in full swing and I have been busy frosting tray after tray of sugar cookies, enjoying a lively holiday card-making session, and running a completely unofficial survey about one of the season’s most recognizable treats: the candy cane.
Back in July, while planning holiday baking, I started thinking about candy cane flavor—the classic, minty note that I love—and wondered whether adults actually eat full-sized candy canes for dessert. Children will eat anything with sugar, of course, but grown-ups? And if so, how do they eat them?
There are so many questions. Do you break a candy cane into pieces first? Do you carefully unwrap it from the bottom so the wrapper stays neatly out of the way? Or do you bite from the hooked end and risk looking a little awkward when others are around? From personal experience, nibbling from the hook is not the most elegant option unless you’re alone.
Size is another practical issue. Can anyone truly finish a whole candy cane in a single sitting? What becomes of the half-eaten cane? If you’re working through emails and an unexpected meeting calls you away, do you place it on a napkin and hope it’s still there afterward? The common packaging—shrink-wrapped tight—also feels like a deliberate challenge. Some wrappers are so snug it seems they’re trying to dissuade the candy from being enjoyed.
After compiling my informal results, it became clear: many people love the idea of candy canes more than they actually love eating them whole. That explains why so many recipes call for crushed candy cane; it’s easier and tastier to incorporate the flavor that way. And honestly, smashing candy canes with a rolling pin is oddly satisfying and completely justified during the holidays.
This recipe embraces that truth: the melted candy cane frosting starts with finely crushed pieces of the candy. Grab a rolling pin, let off a little holiday stress, and you’ll end up with cookies that are as festive as they are delicious.
I should confess: I invented this “melted candy cane frosting” a year ago but I didn’t share it until now. That was a mistake—there’s no reason for anyone to wait a whole year to enjoy peppermint buttercream. The holiday window is short, so I’m sharing it just in time.
My most important conclusion from the survey: these melted candy cane-filled cocoa sandwich cookies are worth the wait. They bring the peppermint flavor into a tender chocolate cookie in a way that feels uniquely holiday.
Melted Candy Cane-Filled Cocoa Sandwich Cookies
Makes about 3 dozen small sandwich cookies
Inspired by tiny salted chocolate sparkle cookies but with a festive peppermint twist.
For the cookies:
1 1/4 cups (156 grams) flour
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (35 grams) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons (56 grams) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup (100 grams) brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
scant 1/4 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
For the buttercream frosting:
4 tablespoons (56 grams) unsalted butter, very soft
2 cups (200 grams) powdered sugar
2 medium candy canes (see note below)
4 tablespoons (60 ml) half and half
pure peppermint extract, to taste
Make the cookies: Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt, then set aside. In a medium bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg, vanilla, and peppermint extract and beat until smooth. Stir in the dry ingredients with a wooden spoon until incorporated—the dough will be stiff.
Shape the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic, and chill at least one hour or up to several days. If short on time, chill in the freezer for about 30 minutes.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to about 1/8–1/4 inch thick. Cut shapes with a fluted 1 1/2-inch cookie cutter, reroll scraps, and bake 5–6 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the frosting: Beat the very soft butter with about 1 cup (100 grams) of powdered sugar until mostly combined; it will look crumbly. Finely crush the candy canes in a sturdy bag using a rolling pin until you have about 1/4 cup of small pieces. Combine the crushed candy and half and half in a small saucepan and warm gently over low heat, whisking constantly, until the candy melts and creates a smooth, warm cream—do not boil. Turn off the heat.
With the mixer running low, pour the warm candy cream into the butter and powdered sugar mixture and whip to combine. Add the remaining powdered sugar and beat several minutes until the frosting is smooth and spreadable. Taste and add a touch more peppermint extract if desired (about 1/8 teaspoon is a good starting point).
Assemble the sandwich cookies: Transfer frosting to a pastry bag fitted with a wide tip or use a coupler, and pipe a small amount onto the bottom of half the cookies. Top with the remaining cookies and gently press to spread the filling to the edges.
Store filled cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for several days.
Note: Candy cane sizes vary. The candies used here yielded about 1/4 cup of finely crushed pieces. If you have extra candy dust, stir some into the finished buttercream for added texture and peppermint crunch.
