Chocolate Dipped Peppermint Sticks

These festive Christmas cookies look and taste like their namesakes!

INGREDIENTS

Basic Cookie Dough (see recipe index to find this)
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
Green and red paste food coloring
5 ounces white chocolate, melted
6 green or red starlight mints, crushed

DIRECTIONS

Prepare Basic Cookie Dough. Divide dough in half; transfer half to another bowl. Stir peppermint extract into 1 portion of dough. Divide peppermint dough in half; transfer half to another bowl. Tint 1 portion green, the other red.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 9" by 9" metal baking pan with plastic wrap, extending wrap over 2 sides of pan. Pat plain dough in pan. Freeze 10 minutes. Pat green dough over half of plain dough; pat red dough over remaining plain dough. Freeze 10 minutes.
Lift dough from pan using plastic wrap; place on cutting board. Cut dough into thirds so that one-third is all red on top, one-third is all green on top, and middle third is half red and half green. Cut each third crosswise into 3/8-inch strips. Twist strips and place, 1 1/2 inches apart, on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 11 to 13 minutes or until golden-brown. Transfer to wire rack to cool. Repeat.
Dip one end of each cookie into chocolate and place on waxed paper. Sprinkle chocolate with crushed mints. Refrigerate cookies 15 minutes to set.
Store cookies in tightly sealed container, with sheets of waxed paper between layers, at room temperature up to 1 week or in freezer up to 3 months.