Candy Stripe Cookie Stick

Candy Stripe Cookie Stick

Festive Candy-Stripe Cookie Sticks are a holiday favorite, but can be enjoyed as a treat any time of year.

Ingredients

Makes 30

• 8 large egg whites
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• Pinch of coarse salt
• 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Red gel-paste food coloring

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put egg whites and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and beat on medium speed until foamy. Reduce speed to low. Add flour and salt; mix until just combined. Add butter, cream, and vanilla, and 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 (such as Ateco #2). Secure end of pastry bag with rubber band. Set aside.
3. Put 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, and 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. Cookies can be stored between layers of parchment in airtight containers at room temperature up to 1 week.