Checkerboard Cookies

By tlshinnick

Ingredients

• FOR THE VANILLA DOUGH:
• 6 oz. unsalted butter (12 Tbs.)
• softened at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 1/2 ounces finely ground almonds
• 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 9 oz. all-purpose flour (2 cups)
• FOR THE CHOCOLATE DOUGH:
• 6 oz. unsalted butter (12 Tbs.) softened
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 oz. finely ground almonds (1/3 cup)
• 1 oz. natural (not Dutch process) cocoa (1/3 cup)
• 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
• 9 oz. all-purpose flour (2 cups)
• FOR THE EGG WASH:
• 1 egg, whisked well

Preparation

Step 1

To mix the vanilla dough-
With the paddle of an electric
mixer (or regular beaters),
cream the butter on medium
speed until soft and creamy. Add the salt
and confectioners' sugar; mix on
medium-low speed until thoroughly
combined, about 5 min., scraping down the
sides of the bowl as needed. Reduce the
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 two sheets of parch-
ment or waxed paper into a 8 x 11 rectangle that's 1/3 inch thick; try to get the
thickness very even. Transfer the dough to a
baking sheet; refrigerate for several hours
until hardened.

To mix the chocolate dough-Follow
the instructions for the vanilla dough, add-
ing the cocoa along with the ground al-
monds. Roll and chill as for the vanilla.
To assemble the cookies-Remove
the dough from the refrigerator, peel off
the paper from both sides and set the
dough onto a fresh sheet of parchment.
Using a sharp, thin knife, slice both
doughs lengthwise into square strips
about 1/3 inch thick. If the dough starts to
soften, freeze it briefly to firm it up.
Set up your workspace so that you have
a baking sheet to work on in front of you,
both doughs to one side, and the egg wash
with a pastry brush to the other side. Lay a
strip of vanilla dough lengthwise on the
baking sheet; then lay a strip of chocolate
dough next to the vanilla; finally lay another
strip of vanilla next to the chocolate
Press the three strips gently to-
gether so that they stick to one
another. Brush the tops with
the egg wash.
Lay a strip of chocolate
directly on top of the first strip
of vanilla, lay a strip of vanilla
next to that, and a strip of choco-
late next to that. Again, gently but
firmly press together and down to ensure
that all the strips are stuck to one another.
Brush this layer with more egg wash. Finish
with another layer of vanilla-chocolate-
vanilla. Gently press the log together on all
sides. Make more logs with the remaining
strips. Chill the logs for at least an hour.
Heat the oven to 375°F and line a
baking sheet with parchment. When the
logs are hard enough to slice, remove
them from refrigerator. Slice into cookies
about V4 inch thick. Set the squares
Va inch apart on the baking sheet and bake
until the vanilla parts are lightly browned,
about 8 min., rotating the sheet halfway
through. Cool on the baking sheet until