Peppermint Candy Cane Cookies

	1 cup butter or margarine (softened)
	1 cup sugar
	1/2 cup milk
	1 teaspoon vanilla extract
	1 teaspoon peppermint extract
	1 egg
	3-1/2 cups flour
	1 teaspoon baking powder
	1/4 teaspoon salt
	Red food coloring

Mix margarine, sugar, milk, extracts and egg together until blended well. Mix together flour, baking powder and salt; then gradually the dry ingredients; mix well.

Split the dough in half, putting one half in one bowl, and one half in another bowl. Add to the first bowl of dough: 1 teaspoon red food coloring. Do not add anything to the other bowl of dough. Cover both bowls and refrigerate for about 2 hours.

For each candy cane, use about 1-Tablespoon of dough from each bowl (the red dough and the white dough). Individually roll the piece of dough to form about a 4-inch long rope. Place 1 red and 1 white rope side by side, gentle press tips together, then twist the two pieces. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and curve top of cookie down to shape like a candy cane.

Bake in 375-degree oven for 9 to 12 minutes, until white dough just begins to turn golden. Remove from oven, and immediately sprinkle with granulated sugar.

Option: You can prepare a candy sprinkle to use by finely crushing 6 candy canes in a food processor; mix this with 1/2 cup sugar. Sprinkle on cookies immediately after removal from oven.