Checkerboard Cookies

By patticakes

These are not too sweet, look very fancy and are very “adult,” but not hard to make, they just take some time to assemble. The yield is huge - about 18 dozen cookies.

Ingredients

• Vanilla Dough
• 6 oz. (12 TBS) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 1/2 oz (1 cup) confectioners’ sugar
• 1 1/2 oz (1/3 cup plus 1 TBS) finely ground almonds
• 1 egg yolk at room temp
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 9 oz 92 cups) all-purpose flour
• Chocolate Dough
• 6 oz. (12 TBS) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 1/2 oz (1 cup) confectioners’ sugar
• 1 oz (1/4 cup) finely ground almonds
• 1 oz (1/4 cup) natural (not Dutch process) cocoa
• 1 egg yolk at room temp
• 9 oz 92 cups) all-purpose flour

Details

Servings 18

Preparation

Step 1

Vanilla Dough
Cream the butter on medium speed until soft and creamy, but not melted. Add the salt and sugar, mix on medium low speed until thoroughly combined, about 5 min, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Reduce speed to low and add the ground almonds, egg yolk, and vanilla extract, mix until blended. Add the flour; as soon as the dough comes together stop the mixer. Roll the dough between 2 sheets of parchment into an 8 ½ x 11 rectangle, 1/3 inch thick. Try to get the thickness very even. Transfer to a cookie sheet and refrigerate for several hours until firm.

Chocolate Dough
Mix the chocolate dough using the same instructions as for vanilla, adding the cocoa along with the ground almonds. Roll and chill as for the vanilla.

To assemble:
Remove the dough from the refrigerator, peel off the parchment from both sides and place on a fresh sheet of parchment. Using a sharp, thin knife, slice both doughs lengthwise into square strips about 1/3 inch thick. Keep the dough firm as you work, freezing briefly as necessary. Set up your workspace with a baking sheet in front of you, the dough to one side and the egg wash to the other.
Lay a strip of vanilla dough lengthwise on the baking sheet, then lay a strip of chocolate, followed by a vanilla. Press the strips gently together so they stick to one another. Brush the tips with egg wash. Make the next layer by placing a chocolate strip on top of the first vanilla, followed by a vanilla, then another chocolate. Again, gently but firmly press together and down to ensure that the strips are stuck to one another. Brush with egg wash. Finish with another layer of vanilla-chocolate-vanilla. Gently press the log together on all sides. Make more logs in the same manner ( Pat note: I make 2 logs starting vanilla-choc-vanilla, then the next 2 as choc- vanilla-choc. This way you don’t end up with extra chocolate strips) Chill the logs for at least an hour.

Heat the oven to 375° and line a baking sheet with parchment. When the logs are firm enough to slice, use a thin knife to slice into cookies about ¼ inch thick. Place about ½ inch apart on a baking sheet and bake until vanilla is slightly browned, about 8 min. Cool on the sheet until cool enough to handle then transfer to a rack.