Headline your holiday with the quintessential flavor of the season - peppermint. These extra special sweets offer a bountiful buffet of peppermint possibilities. Choose one or more for cookie exchanges, apres caroling nibbles, gifts for teachers and Santa. Visit www.wilton.com for additional holiday ideas, and to order baking and decorating supplies.

Peppermint Ribbon Cookies Makes about 6 dozen cookies 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar 2 eggs 2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract 2 to 4 drops Peppermint Candy Flavoring Christmas Red Icing Color, as desired 1 package (14 ounces) Candy Cane Colorburst Candy Melts, melted

In medium bowl, combine flour, salt and baking powder. In large bowl, beat butter and sugar with electric mixer until light and creamy. Add eggs, vanilla and peppermint candy flavoring; mix well. Add flour mixture, one cup at a time; mixing well after each addition.

Remove 1/3 of dough; reserve. To remaining 2/3 dough in mixer bowl, beat in red icing color. Roll and shape dough between parchment paper into two 6 x 8-inch disks. Roll and shape untinted dough between parchment paper to a 6 x 8-inch disk. Chill all dough rectangles at least 1 hour.

Line cookie sheet with parchment paper. Peel parchment from dough pieces. Stack dough rectangles with untinted dough rectangle between the two red pieces, lining them up as evenly as possible; gently press pieces together. Gently roll with rolling pin to seal layers; trim uneven edges with sharp knife. Cut dough lengthwise into three 2 inch-wide slices; cut each column crosswise into 1/4 inch-thick pieces. Arrange 2 inches apart on parchment-lined cookie pans. Chill 1/2 hour.

Preheat oven to 350∞F. Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until bottoms are light golden brown. Remove cookies to cooling grids; cool completely.

Dip cooled cookies into melted Candy Melts; set on parchment-lined cookie pans. Chill until candy is set. Store in airtight container.

Candy Cane Cookies Makes about 2 dozen cookies 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened 1 cup granulated sugar 1 egg 1 1/2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract 1/4 teaspoon Peppermint Candy Flavoring or 1/2 teaspoon Imitation Almond Extract 3 cups all-purpose flour No-Taste Red Icing Color White Sparkling Sugar

Preheat oven to 375∫F. In large bowl, cream butter with sugar with mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, vanilla and peppermint candy flavoring. Add flour 1 cup at a time to butter mixture, mixing well after each addition. If dough becomes too stiff, add water, a teaspoon at a time. Do not chill dough.

Divide dough into 2 balls. Color one ball of dough red with icing color. Pinch off a 1-inch ball of each color dough. On flat surface, roll ball into 3-inch-long strips. Place red and white strips side-by-side; roll them together until the two colors have wrapped around one another and are twisted together. Curve the strip at the top to the shape of a candy cane and place on ungreased cookie sheet; gently press Sparkling Sugar into dough. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned. Cool on pan 2 minutes; remove to cooling grid and cool completely.

#10358_AR Source: Wilton Enterprises