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CheckerBoard Cookies II

Read Reviews (11)

"Everybody loves these chocolate and butter cookies. The checkerboard pattern creates a dazzling effect." — MARBALET

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Original recipe makes 2 dozen Change Servings

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup butter

3 egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

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Directions

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, confectioners' sugar and baking powder. Cut in the butter until the mixture has a mealy texture. Stir in the egg yolks and vanilla until dough forms. Divide dough into halves. Knead the cocoa into one half.
Roll out each half of the dough into a rectangle, 8x10 inches. Slice each rectangle lengthwise into 8-1x10 inch strips. Place two strips of opposing colors next to each other. Place two more on top of those, placing opposing colors on top of each other. Repeat until the checkerboard is four strips high. Repeat with remaining strips. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least an hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
Unwrap dough and slice into 1/4 inch slices. Place slices 1 inch apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until firm. Remove from baking sheets to cool on wire racks.

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I love these cookies because of the mystifying pattern. I found the dough hard to work with when I had just made it, so I chilled the rolled-out rectangles in the fridge for about an hour before cutting them into strips and arranging them in the right pattern. That way the squares had crisp edges. Then I did an egg-wash and chilled the dough overnight before baking. I substituted hot cocoa mix for the cocoa powder and it worked fine.

—DASHONBURTON

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Dec 21, 2003

LOT of work for a mediocre cookie. The dough was hard to work with, and it takes a lot of precision to get the strips to be the same size for stacking. The cookies do not look as impressive as expected. Most importantly, the flavor is quite bland. Better save the time and ingredients for other tastier cookies.

—mmmdessert

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15 Ratings

Dec 20, 2005

This cookie wasn't hard to make, however I found it wasn't worth the time. I wanted to make something interesting for my husband's work, and found the dough was not only crumbly when you tried to work with it after following the directions exactly, it was also a little tough. the flavor, however was fine, I just prefer cookies that don't take forever to make and actually hold together. Also, when the chocolate was added, the dough got even drier. The cookie took on a misshapen appearance while baking, where the "vanilla" part got puffier than the chocolate, and they kind of made "kite" shapes.

—Heather

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Jul 23, 2008

Good cookie. I changed it up a little bit and made them red and green for christmas.

—jeremy

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Apr 05, 2007

VERY DISAPPOINTING! I can't even roll this dough out to cut it it's all crumble. I've added a few drops of water...still crumbles, I've added a little more egg...still crumble. I can't believe I have to back to the store to buy more ingredients to make a different kind of cookie and waste all of this. This recipe does not work!

—croshari

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Dec 19, 2003

These cookies tasted and looked great. I used an egg wash to keep the sections together, it worked great.

—NANCITI

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Aug 26, 2009

These cookies are difficult to make and taste bland. I made them despite the mixed reviews because my 12 year old son begged me to and then he only ate 1 cookie because he didn't like them.

—Kristen

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Dec 28, 2010

I love these cookies ever since my Grandma made them for me when I was a little girl. Now that I live on my own with my boyfriend, it was my turn to make them myself this year! This is an excellent recipe, the only difference in how I make them is to make ropes of each flavor instead of using strips. I recommend that method to those who complained about the difficult of rolling out the dough. Thank you for sharing this recipe!

—Charleighna

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Nutrition

Calories
246 kcal
12%

Carbohydrates
29.7 g
10%

Cholesterol
82 mg
27%

Fat
13.1 g
20%

Fiber
1.2 g
5%

Protein
3.3 g
7%

Sodium
125 mg
5%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

CheckerBoard Cookies II

Serving Size: 1/12 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 12
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 246
Calories from Fat: 118

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 13.1g 20 %
Saturated Fat 7.9g 39 %
Cholesterol 82mg 27 %
Sodium 125mg 5 %
Potassium 59mg 2 %
Total Carbohydrates 29.7g 10 %
Dietary Fiber 1.2g 5 %
Protein 3.3g 7 %
Sugars 12.4g
Vitamin A 8 %
Vitamin C 0 %
Calcium 5 %
Iron 14 %
Thiamin 17 %
Niacin 15 %
Vitamin B6 2 %
Magnesium 5 %
Folate 25 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.