Ingredients
- 4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1-1/2 cups (2-1/2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
- 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1-1/2 squares (1 oz, each) unsweetened chocolate melted and cooled
- Red and green food coloring
- 2 tablespoons chopped pistachio nuts
- 2 tablespoon chopped candied red cherries
- Milk
Preparation
Step 1
Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt onto wax paper. Reserve. Beat together butter, brown and granulated sugars, eggs, vanilla and almond extract in large bowl until smooth. Stir in flour mixture until well blended. Divide dough into 5 equal parts. Combine 2 parts to make 1 large portion. Place each portion in 4 small bowl. Stir chocolate into large portion. Tint one small portion pink with red food coloring. Tint second small part green with green food coloring. Leave fourth plain. Stir pistachio nuts into green, cherries into pink. The fourth remains plain. Cover, chill 2 hours.
Shape green dough into a long roll about 2" in diameter. Roll between 2 sheets of wax paper to a rectangle about 11x4". Brush top lightly with milk. Repeat with plain dough, place on top of green dough. Repeat with pink dough, place on top of plain dough. With ruler and knife, cut rectangle to exact size. Wrap in foil or plastic wrap. Chill 1 hour or freeze 30 minutes. Divide chocolate part in half. Roll each half between sheets of wax paper to a 11x6" rectangle. Divide chilled layered dough in half lengthwise. Place a layered half on one of the chocolate rectangles. Brush with milk, wrap chocolate around layered dough, pressing gently to form a long block. Repeat with remaining chocolate and layered dough. Rewrap in foil or plastic. Freeze for 1 hour. Dough may be stored in refrigerator for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 1 month.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut dough into 1/4" slices. Place on ungreased cookie sheets 1/2" apart. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes or just until set. Cookies should not brown except on bottom, to keep colors bright. Transfer to wire rack, cool completely. Store in tightly covered containers for up to 2 weeks.