Party Cookie Recipes - Peppermint Lollipops Recipe
Ingredients
2 cups/300 g
all
purpose/plain flour
1 1/2 tsp
baking powder
1/4
tsp salt
6 tbsp butter, softened
6 tbsp
vegetable shortening
3/4 cup/150 g granulated
sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1
tbsp milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract/essence
1/2 cup/50
g crushed peppermint candies
Method:
Sift the flour,
baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl. Beat
the butter, shortening, and sugar in a large bowl
with an electric mixer at high speed until creamy.
Add the egg, milk, and vanilla, beating until just
blended. Mix in the dry ingredients to form a
smooth dough. Divide the dough in half.
Press into
two disks, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate
for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to
350°F/180°C/gas 4. Set out four cookie sheets.
Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface into
a 12 x 9-inch (30 x 23-cm) rectangle. Use a fluted
pastry wheel to cut into twelve 3-inch (8-cm)
squares.
Repeat with the remaining dough. Use a
spatula to transfer the cookies to the cookie
sheets. Do not place more than six cookies on each
sheet as there must be space for the craft sticks.
Sprinkle with the crushed candies, pressing them
lightly into the dough. Cut 1-inch (2.5-cm) slits
in each corner toward the center of the square.
Fold
every other corner into the center to make a
windmill shape. Press craft sticks into the base
of the squares, pressing the dough around them so
that they are firmly held.
Bake, one sheet at a
time, for 6-8 minutes, or until just golden at the
edges. Cool on the sheets until the cookies firm
slightly. Transfer to racks to cool.