Sugar cookie dough and chocolate cookie dough come together to create a sweet treat with an eye-catching design. Checkboard Cookies pictured with our Pumpkin-Mascarpone Bundt Cake with Mascarpone Glaze.
Checkboard Cookies
Serves: 48
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened, divided
- 1 cup granulated sugar, divided
- 2 large eggs, room temperature, divided
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
- 2⅔ cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder, divided
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- ½ cup Dutch process cocoa powder
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, beat together ½ cup butter and ½ cup sugar with a mixer at medium speed until creamy, 3 to 4 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Add 1 egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, beating until combined.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together 1⅔ cups flour, ¾ teaspoon baking powder, and ½ teaspoon salt. With mixer at low speed, gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating until a dough forms.
- Turn out dough onto a large piece of parchment paper. (If any flour bits remain, knead dough by patting dough and folding it in half.) Shape dough into a 6-inch-long log. Press sides into a 1¾-inch square. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- In another mixing bowl, beat together remaining ½ cup butter and remaining ½ cup granulated sugar with a mixer at medium speed until creamy, 3 to 4 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Add remaining 1 egg and remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, beating until combined.
- In another medium bowl, whisk together remaining 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour, cocoa powder, remaining ¾ teaspoon baking powder, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt. With mixer at low speed, gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating until a dough forms.
- Turn out dough onto a large piece of parchment paper. (If any flour bits remain, knead dough by patting dough and folding it in half.) Shape dough into a 6-inch-long log. Press sides into a 1¾-inch square. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 400°. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Using a sharp knife, trim edges of sugar cookie dough and chocolate cookie dough, creating 2 equal rectangular logs. Slice each dough rectangle log lengthwise into 3 equal strips. With strips stacked, cut stack in thirds lengthwise to create 9 equal strips.
- Arrange a chocolate strip, a vanilla strip, and a chocolate strip side by side lengthwise. Stack a vanilla strip, a chocolate strip, and a vanilla strip side by side on top of first layer of strips. Stack a chocolate strip, a vanilla strip, and a chocolate strip side by side on top of second layer of strips to create a checkerboard-pattern rectangular log. Repeat with remaining dough strips to create another checkerboard-pattern rectangular log, but begin pattern with a vanilla strip, a chocolate strip, and a vanilla strip. Gently press together strips of each checkerboard dough log. Place logs on another rimmed baking sheet and freeze for 15 minutes.
- Using a sharp knife, slice each log crosswise into 24 (¼-inch-thick) square cookies. Trim edges, as needed. Place cookies 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
- Bake until bottoms are lightly golden, 7 to 8 minutes. Let cool for 1 minute. Transfer to wire racks and let cool completely.
Notes
Make-Ahead Tip: Prepare checkered dough logs, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and freeze for up to 3 months. Let thaw before slicing.
