I hope you are enjoying Christmas Cookies Week as much as I am! So many great recipes being shared, my holiday baking list is getting bigger by the minute! Another find from Gram's recipe box today, classic checkerboard cookies, but I put a bit of a Christmas spin on them.
This post is sponsored in conjunction with Christmas Cookies Week . I received
complimentary product from sponsor companies to aid in the creation of
my recipes. All opinions are mine alone.
The recipe calls for superfine sugar, but if you can't get it don't worry about it. You can just pulse 1 cup of granulated sugar in the food processor until it's fine and then measure out the amount needed. I chose to tint the vanilla dough with green food coloring to make the cookies a bit more festive.
It's a little fidgety getting the 2 colors of dough to make the pattern, but it looks beautiful in the end. I decorated mine with a red "ribbon" so that they resembled wrapped gifts. The base cookie isn't super sweet so the icing just gives it that little extra something.
Check out these gorgeous Anolon baking sheets! I just love the nice big edges that you can grab without smushing your cookies. Everything cooks evenly, no need to rotate! Be sure to go and enter for your chance to win one of the prize packages from the amazing sponsors down below!
Christmas Checkerboards
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 sticks butter, softened
- 3/4c superfine sugar
- 1 teaspoon Adams Extract & Spice Vanilla
- Green food coloring, if desired
- 2 eggs
- 4 1/2 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon milk
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
- Decorating icing (optional)
Instructions
- Divide butter and sugar between two bowls (6 tablespoons butter and 6 tablespoons sugar in each). To make the vanilla dough, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add one egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, plus food coloring, if desired. Sift 2 1/4 cups flour and 1 teaspoon baking powder into bowl. Mix with a wooden spoon and then turn out to work by hand until a smooth dough forms.
- For the chocolate dough, in the second bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add 1 egg and 1 teaspoon milk. Sift in 2 1/4 cups flour, cocoa, and 1 teaspoon baking powder. Mix with wooden spoon, turn out to work by hand until a smooth dough forms.
- Divide each dough into 4 pieces. On a lightly floured surface roll each piece into a rope about 12" long. Place a chocolate rope and a vanilla rope side by side. On top of the chocolate rope place a vanilla rope, and on top of the vanilla place a chocolate.
- Press against the counter on all 4 sides to form a square. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate. Repeat with the remaining ropes. Chill for at least 1 hour.
- Heat oven to 350. Line baking sheet with parchment. Cut each dough into 12 slices (I used a pastry scraper). Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Let cool on sheets 1 minute and then move to rack to cool completely.
- If desired, pipe icing onto cookies following the checkerboard lines, and then make loops to resemble a bow. Let set for 4 hours. Store in an airtight container.
Wednesday Christmas Cookie Recipes
- Almond Shortbread Bites by A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Brown Sugar Ice Box Cookies by West Via Midwest
- Chocolate Dipped Cranberry Oatmeal Cookie by Lemon Blossoms
- Christmas Checkerboard Cookies by Jolene's Recipe Journal
- Christmas Chippity Chip Cookies by Daily Dish Recipes
- Christmas Tree Cookies by Swirls of Flavor
- Cinnamon Snowball Cookies by Jersey Girl Cooks
- French Toast Cookies by Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
- Frosty Ginger Cookies by Cindy's Recipes and Writings
- Ginger Snap Cookies by Devour Dinner
- Holiday Coins by Family Around the Table
- Italian Christmas Cookies by Blogghetti
- Meringue Christmas Trees Two Ways by Art of Natural Living
- Pecan Crescent Cookies by Palatable Pastime
- Pepparkakor by That Recipe
- Peppermint Cream Cheese Crushed Oreo Cookies by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
- Reindeer Haystacks by Leftovers Then Breakfast
- Salted Caramel Dark Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies by Sweet Beginnings
- Soft Italian Wedding Cookies by Making Miracles
- Sweet Potato Pecan Cookies by Karen's Kitchen Stories
- Turtle Cookies by An Affair from the Heart
- Whipped Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies by Cheese Curd In Paradise
- Zimstern - German Cinnamon Stars by A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
Love how you wrapped them up into little gifts. Worth all of the effort.
ReplyDeleteTotally worth the effort to make these cookies and I just love that bow!
ReplyDeleteThese are adorable! I'd love to "unwrap" one for Christmas
ReplyDeleteAwww...these are just so sweet...literally! Love the little bows!
ReplyDeleteSo festive I love the little bows!
ReplyDeleteI think these are the cutest cookies of the day!
ReplyDeleteLove the little bows on these Christmas present cookies!
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness! How stinking cute are these cookies?? Like cute little packages. Such a creative cookie.
ReplyDelete