Christmas Candy Canes

Have you ever wondered why the candy cane is red and white and the way it had been a Christmas favorite?

Can you feel that the candy cane was actually invented like a tool to keep children quiet? It's true. Much like children today, kids within the 1670's in Germany had trouble sitting reverently through church. Then the choirmaster at the Cologne Cathedral, developed a strategy to help keep the children quiet and happy. He took a well known candy, a "sugar stick" and bent one end to resemble what Shepherd's staff. He gave it towards the children throughout the long church Christmas ceremonies. That has been the quietest church service they had been in a long time!

Candy canes quickly had been a tradition - initially mostly restricted to Christmas themed religious ceremonies, but they eventually found their way between the other sweets about the family Christmas tree.

For many years, candy canes counseled me white. Inside the 1920's, a person called Bob McCormack began making the his candy with a red stripe to represent the blood Jesus shed for all of us. In the beginning, Bob painted his candy canes for family and friends annually by hand. That changed when his brother-in-law, a Catholic priest called Gregory Keller, invented a machine that automated the candy cane creation process within 1950.

Today whenever we eat a candy cane at Christmastime, we can consider the symbols of Christ which it holds-The shape represents the shepherds' staff and reminds us that angels came to announce the birth of Jesus towards the shepherds within the fields of Bethlehem. Additionally, it reminds us that Jesus will be the Good Shepherd! The white color reminds us that Jesus lived a pure, clean life. The red stripe represents the sacrifice that Jesus designed for us.

                                                                         
You possibly can make these fun cookies together with your kids when you make them learn about the symbols within the candy cane.

Candy Cane Cookies
1 cup butter or margarine
1 cup sifted confectioners sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoon almond flavoring
OR 3/4 teaspoon peppermint flavoring
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup crushed peppermint candy
1/2 cup white sugar

Preheat oven to 375 F. Mix butter sugar, egg, and flavorings thoroughly. Add flour and salt, Mix well. Shape dough into a disk and wrap with plastic wrap; chill for around Couple of hours or until easy to handle.
                                                                             

                                                                     
Roll into 4 inch strips; put on baking sheet. Curve roller to form handle or cane. Bake 9 minutes. While still warm, remove from pan and sprinkle with candy and sugar mixture. Dough may be divided by 50 percent and colored with 1/2 teaspoon red food coloring if desired. Roll each color into strips, place side-by-side, press together lightly and twist being a rope.