1-First Step: Start by preheating your oven to 375°F and lining a baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking and make cleanup easy for this candy cane cookies recipe.

2-Second Step: In a medium bowl, whisk together the 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, ¾ cup crushed peppermints, and 1 teaspoon fine sea salt until evenly mixed, setting the base for your flavorful dough.

3-Third Step: In another bowl, beat the 1 cup softened unsalted butter, ½ cup granulated sugar, 1 egg, 1 ½ teaspoon almond extract, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until smooth and creamy, which takes about 2 minutes with a mixer.

4-Fourth Step: Gradually add the dry ingredients from the first bowl into the wet mixture, stirring until just combined to avoid overmixing, which helps keep your candy cane cookies tender and prevents them from becoming tough.

5-Fifth Step: Use a tablespoon or cookie scoop to portion the dough into even balls, then roll them gently in your hands and place them 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet for uniform baking.

6-Sixth Step: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 9 minutes, watching for the edges to set and the bottoms to turn golden, even though the tops won’t brown much, ensuring your holiday cookies have the ideal texture.

7-Final Step: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack, allowing them to firm up while preserving that fresh, crunchy peppermint bite for serving.