By Christmas prep. Ham ordered. Cookies planned. Tree bought — Connie picked, I carried, same as always. The ornament collection growing: the 1991 glass ball, the baby booties, the coal car, the ceramic chicken from Amber's wedding. This year Clay added one — a small wooden hiking boot, hand-carved, that he found at a craft fair in Red River Gorge. He hung it on the tree without ceremony and said it's for the camping trips. The boot hangs next to the coal car and the distance between them — between underground and above-ground, between the dark and the sky — is the whole story of this family in two ornaments.
Made gingerbread cookies for the first time because Nadia is ten months old and sitting in the high chair watching everything and I want the kitchen to smell like Christmas when she's in it, because smell is the first memory, smell is the memory that stays longest, and if Nadia's first Christmas memory is the smell of ginger and molasses and cinnamon, then her first Christmas memory is a good one, and a good first memory is a foundation, and foundations are what grandfathers build.
The gingerbread turned out well — Nadia watched the whole thing from her high chair, wide-eyed at the mixer — but it was these Candy Cane Coffee Cakes that became the real centerpiece of Christmas morning, the thing that got pulled out of the oven while the tree lights were still the only light in the room. If I’m building foundations, I’m building them out of butter and peppermint and something warm enough to hold the whole day together.
Candy Cane Coffee Cakes
Prep Time: 25 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 45 min | Servings: 12
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (1 packet)
- 1/4 cup warm water (110°F)
- 3/4 cup warm milk
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 egg
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
- 1/2 cup crushed candy canes
- 1 cup powdered sugar (for glaze)
- 2–3 tbsp milk (for glaze)
- 2 tbsp crushed candy canes (for topping)
Instructions
- Activate yeast. Dissolve yeast in warm water in a large bowl and let stand 5 minutes until foamy.
- Make dough. Add warm milk, sugar, salt, butter, and egg to the yeast mixture. Gradually stir in flour until a soft dough forms. Knead on a lightly floured surface for 5–6 minutes until smooth and elastic. Cover and let rest 10 minutes.
- Make filling. Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, and peppermint extract together until smooth. Fold in crushed candy canes.
- Shape the cakes. Roll dough into a 12x18-inch rectangle on a floured surface. Spread the cream cheese filling evenly over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Roll up tightly from the long side and cut into 12 equal slices.
- Arrange and rise. Place slices cut-side up in a greased 9x13-inch baking pan. Cover loosely and let rise in a warm place for 20 minutes.
- Bake. Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake 18–22 minutes until golden brown on top and cooked through. Cool 10 minutes before glazing.
- Glaze and finish. Whisk together powdered sugar and milk until smooth. Drizzle over warm cakes and sprinkle with remaining crushed candy canes. Serve warm.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 310 | Protein: 6g | Fat: 9g | Carbs: 51g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 160mg