Cream Together Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, beat together 1 cup of softened butter and 1 cup of powdered sugar using an electric mixer on medium speed for about 2 minutes until light and fluffy.

Add Wet Ingredients: Add 1 egg, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and 1 teaspoon of peppermint extract to the butter and sugar mixture. Beat until well combined.

Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together 2 ½ cups of all-purpose flour and ½ teaspoon of salt. Gradually add this dry mixture into the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until a soft dough forms.

Divide and Color the Dough: Divide the dough in half, keeping one half plain. Add red gel food coloring to the other half and mix until evenly colored.

Chill the Dough: Wrap each half of the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour.

Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Shape the Cookies: Roll a teaspoon of red dough and a teaspoon of white dough into ropes measuring 4-5 inches. Twist them together into the candy cane shape.

Bake the Cookies: Place the shaped cookies on the baking sheets and bake for 8-10 minutes until set but not browned.

Cool and Serve: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.