It’s a tradition in my family to make these cookies every Christmas. I’m not sure how to describe them – there’s no peppermint flavor. They’re just buttery, kind of shortbread-y, and almond-y. And really tasty.

First you make the dough (a double batch, if you know what’s good for you). Split in half, dying one half as red as you can. Roll out equal-length ropes of each color, twist, and arrange into candy cane shapes! …it sounds much easier than it is, especially when you factor in the self-control necessary to not eat most of the dough while you’re working.

My mom has a neat plastic rolling mat, so she doesn’t need to use as much flour to keep her dough rolling. I just use my kitchen bar, so I end up over-flouring and my cookies look kind of sad for it. They still taste good, but some day I’ll get them to look as nice as Mom’s do, too.

Another tradition that goes along with these: you must try to eat all of one color without breaking the other. It’s especially difficult around the crook of the cane, but when I succeeded – on my first try! – I couldn’t help taking a photo to brag to Mom.