Checkerboard Cookies
These fun checkerboard cookies are easier to make than they look! Vanilla and chocolate sable doughs are combined for this holiday cookie.
Aren’t these so fun? I love the checkers so much that I had to break out the chess pieces for the photo. The dark checkering here is a chocolate espresso dough, and the light is a basic vanilla dough, and I really love eating the two together like this. And just so you know, these whimsical cookies are soft, buttery, and crumbly, so if your crispy tooth is having a craving, it’ll have to wait for another day. Here’s how to make the cookies:
The cookies start out with a shortbread dough.
Add espresso powder, chocolate, and cocoa powder to half that dough.
Square each batch of dough into a rectangular block.
Refrigerate both doughs on a sheet pan for 1 hour.
Cut each block into desired size for checkering. I cut the block into thirds.
Then each piece into thirds again.
Start alternating the pieces with chocolate and vanilla.
Square it off and press together. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.
Cut the dough into 1/4 inch thick slices and place on a parchment paper lined sheet pan.
Bake!
Checkerboard Cookies
Ingredients
- 15 oz all purpose flour, by weight (3 cups, if measuring)
- 1.5 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 extra large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2.25 tsp instant espresso powder
- 2 oz bittersweet chocolate melted
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder
Instructions
- Whisk to combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter to spread around the bowl. With the mixer running, stream in the sugar. Review my creaming article if you have forgotten how to do this properly. Add the egg and vanilla, and mix until combined.
- Slowly add the flour mixture to the stand mixer bowl until combined.
- Remove half of the dough, wrap in plastic and put into the fridge.
- Add the espresso powder, chocolate, and cocoa powder to the remaining dough, and mix to combine.
- Remove the coffee dough from the mixer and shape into a squared off block, about 2 inches tall and wide, and 6 inches long. Do the same with the vanilla dough.
- Refrigerate both doughs on a sheet pan for 1 hour.
- Cut each block into desired size for checkering. I cut the block into thirds, then into thirds again (see blog photos).
- Start alternating the pieces with chocolate and vanilla, then square it off and press together. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cut the dough into 1/4 inch thick slices and place on a parchment paper lined sheet pan.
- Bake for 10 minutes, then cool on a wire rack. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
25 Comments on “Checkerboard Cookies”
Brilliant idea and GREAT pictures
BRAVO
These look amazing, and so inventive! Awesome recipe, Joanne. 🙂
Yummmm ! I loooove buttery cookies 😀 Gorgeous photos as always 😉
Love this idea! My kids are in chess club and I will definitely be sending this in for a treat (it’s an after school club so I’m hoping to escape the lame store bought rule.) We just returned from the Mayan Riviera and bought a chess set with a Mayan calandar etched into it. That may be a bit difficult to create in a cookie! Thanks for the wonderful idea. I have a chocolate/black pepper recipe–maybe I’ll get creative with this too.
Perfect cookies Joanne…love the look, love the picture with the checker piezes.
These are adorable, and I would never have thought to create something like that! Very cute and an excellent conversation topic.
Beautiful. I’ve always wanted to make these. Espresso in chocolate only makes it better. And the chessmen in the photo? Too cute.
Those are totally fun and look delish!
Like the touch of the chess pieces…thanks for stopping by to say hello…all is well and will be posting soon…today I find out what they are going to do to me…UGH!
Lots of love for the holidays.
These look like lots of fun to make – and even more fun to eat! My son would get out chess pieces, too! A great post!
Oh this would make a great video! You made them so even too. They look wonderful.
I have always loved these cookie but have never been able to master that perfect checkerboard look. Yours look amazing as well as delicious. I love the chess pieces on there-great picture!
I just LOVE THESE COOKIES. I can’t wait to try them out.. I think everyone will absolutely love them. These are just perfect..
Cute! My husbands family used to make these and call them Black and White Magic cookies. This kids would help make the dough, and put in the fridge separate. Then when they were off playing she would combine it. They would come back later and it was “magically” combined! Mine never look as pretty 🙂
I’ve got to try making these