- Beat together butter and sugar until creamy.
- Blend in egg, vanilla and peppermint extract.
- Sift together flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture. Stir in oats. Roll out dough between 2 sheets of waxed paper to form a 12 x 6" rectangle.
- Refrigerate several hours or overnight.
- Remove top sheet of waxed paper. Cut into 6 x 1/4" slices.
- Shape into ropes, twisting to form candy canes. Bake on ungreased cookie sheets in preheated moderate oven (375° F) 8 to 10 minutes.
- Cool on cookie sheets 1 minute before removing to wire racks. Decorate with confectioners’ sugar frosting and red hot cinnamon candies.
Variations:
PEPPERMINT SUGAR TOPPING: Crush 12 round hard peppermint candies (or 6 small candy canes) in blender. Transfer to small bowl and add 3 tablespoons granulated sugar; mix well. Sprinkle on top of cookies immediately after removing cookie sheets from oven.
SNOWMAN COOKIES: Eliminate food colouring and peppermint extract. After twisting dough into ropes, shape each rope into a circle, pinching ends to seal. Stack three circles on top of one another on cookie sheet forming snowmen. Bake according to directions, increasing time by 2 to 3 minutes if needed. Transfer cookies to cooling racks and sprinkle with powdered sugar while warm. Cool.
