Cookies

• Mix together all ingredients with a hand mixer. Knead the dough to form a smooth short crust pastry. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill at least one hour or overnight.
• Position rack in center of oven and heat to 350°F. (If using convection set temperature to 325°F and position oven racks accordingly).
• Roll the dough on a floured work surface to about a ¼” thick. Cut out the desired shapes making sure that half of the cookies have a hole in them.
• Place cut out cookies on parchment or silpat lined baking trays. Place trays of cut cookies in the fridge for about 15 minutes prior to baking to help hold the shape.
• Bake for 8 – 10 minutes or until the edges are slightly browned.
• Remove from oven and let cookies rest on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Salted Caramel

• Place the sugar in a pan over medium heat. Do not stir. Heat the sugar until the sugar has started to melt and turn an amber color. When about ¼ of the sugar is melted, give the sugar a stir. The sugar mass will melt and all the crystals should be dissolved.
• Cut the butter into pieces and carefully add to the melted sugar, stirring constantly.
• Heat the cream in the microwave and slowly add to the melted sugar & butter. Stir continuously. Add the salt and continue to stir the bubbling mixture.
• Reduce heat and simmer for 2 – 3 minutes stirring often. Remove from heat and allow to cool enough to handle. Caramel will thicken as it cools.

Decoration

• Melt about ¼ cup of milk or dark chocolate in the microwave.
• Drizzle over top of assembled and cooled cookies.

Assemble

• When the caramel is cool enough to handle transfer to a piping bag. Pipe an even layer on the back or pan side of one of the cookies with no hole. Carefully press one of the cut out cookies on top. Pipe more caramel into the cut out if desired.
• Let cookies set up until caramel is firm.
• Melt chocolate in the micro and pipe or drizzle over cookies. Allow to set up completely before storing in an air tight container.

• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Cream together butter and sugars. Beat in eggs one at a time. Add extracts and orange zest.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
• Mix in dry ingredients about a third at a time until incorporated (dough will be a little crumbly but not dry).
• Stir in white chocolate chips, dried cranberries, and pecans.
• Drop by rounded spoonfuls on to a silpat or parchment lined baking sheet (I roll my dough into 1 ¼” balls for more uniform cookies). Allow your baking sheets to cool a bit between batches (placing dough on a hot baking sheet causes the cookies to flatten out too much).
• Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until golden. Cool cookies for 2 minutes on the pan before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cake

• Position a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 350° F. Butter two 8″ round cake pans and line the bottom with parchment paper. (trace around the outside of the pan with a pencil).
• Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl, sift together by mixing with a whisk.
• Cream together the butter and sugar in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for about 5 minutes, or until very soft and light. Beat in the vanilla.
• Whisk together the egg whites and milk by hand in a medium mixing bowl until just combined.
• Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in one-quarter of the flour mixture, then one-third of the milk mixture, stopping and scraping down the bowl and beater after each addition.
• Beat in another quarter of the flour, then another third of the milk mixture. Scrape again. Repeat with another quarter of the flour and the remaining milk mixture; scrape. Finally, beat in the remaining flour mixture.
• Pour the batter into two mixing bowl dividing it evenly.
• Add 6 – 8 drops of peppermint oil to one half, and 5 – 6 drops of red gel paste to the other.
• Using a quarter cup scoop for each half of the batter, place a scoop of the white batter in the center of each pan. Drop a scoop of the red into the center of the white batter. Alternate between the two colors dropping the batter into the center of the last color until all the batter is gone. Don’t worry if it is not exact. Lightly tap the pans on the counter to help the batter even out.
• Bake the layers for about 30 to 35 minutes, until they are well risen and firm and a toothpick inserted in the center emerges clean.
• Cool the layers in the pans on racks for 5 minutes, then turn out onto racks to completely cool.

Ganache Frosting

• Place chocolate pieces in a mixing bowl.
• Heat the cream in a sauce pan until it just begins to boil. Pour hot cream over chocolate and slowly mix (the heat from the cream will melt the chocolate). When the mixture becomes smooth and creamy add the butter and mix well.
• Set aside and allow to cool to room temperature.
• When the chocolate mixture is room temperature place it in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. On low-speed add the confectioners’ sugar a little at a time. Add the meringue powder. Increase the speed of the mixer to high, and whip for 5 to 8 minutes, or until stiff peaks form (Frosting will double in volume and take on a silky appearance).

Assemble

• Level the tops of the cakes if needed with a sharp knife by slicing off the “hump” in the center if need be. Spread a layer of frosting on top of both layers.
• Put a small dab of frosting on the center of your cake circle or plate (this will prevent sliding) and place the first layer over it. Turn the second layer over and place it frosting side down on top of the first to create a sandwich. Using a gentle twisting motion shift the top layer to make sure the two are evenly stacked and the top of the cake is level.
• Cover the top of the cake with a layer of frosting.
• Frost the sides of the cake. Once the entire cake is covered with an even layer, use the tip of your knife add peaks and swirls (Remember ganache frosting is chocolate and dries with a thin hard shell, so make sure to work in all the swirls you want before it sets, do not try to go back into the frosting with your knife once it is set up).
• Dust the top with some crushed candy canes. Arrange some canes to create a topper for your cake. Dust with CK Disco Dust or Edible Glitter for some added magic.