Preparation of Candy Cane Christmas Cookies

• Weigh all the ingredients and cut the cold butter into cubes, then put the flour, the pinch of salt, and the cold butter in the chopper, operate for 8/10 seconds (until it resembles crumbs).

• Now add the lemon zest, the egg, the sugar, and the baking powder and operate until a crumbly dough ball forms.

• Put half of the dough on a floured kneading board and leave the other half in the chopper adding the food coloring, operate for 8/10 seconds until you get a uniform color.

• Shape both dough colors into logs and wrap them with cling film, place them in the fridge for at least 2 hours or, if in a hurry, for 40 minutes in the freezer.

• After resting in the fridge (or freezer), take the dough logs, divide them into chunks, and roll them on the board until you form small sausages about 1/4 inch in diameter. From these mini sausages, make sticks about 4 inches long.

• Position, alternating, a white piece and a red piece, attach the ends on one side and twist them on the board to form a two-tone rope, bend one end to form a hooked shape and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Continue until both doughs are used up. If necessary, bake in two batches.

• Preheat the oven to 356°F and once at temperature, bake the Candy Canes and cook for 20 minutes, then remove from the oven and let them cool completely before consuming!