Checkerboard Cookies

Why am I baking cookies when it's sweltering out?  Because they're SO GOOD, that's why!
These are my favorite cookies, and they're the ones I crave, no matter what the season.  Scott says one of three things when he's eating; "I love food," "I eat like a king," or "WHOA."   These rate as "WHOA," because it's not just that they're cute;  they taste really good.  I came up with this recipe after seeing some checkerboard cookie dough in the Williams Sonoma catalog.  They wanted $38 for it.  Um, I don't think so. You can make these for about $4.50.

If you glance at the recipe and think "I'm not going through those steps" then do this:  Make the dough up to the point where you beat the cocoa into half of it.  The recipe is easy. Then roll each half into equal length 1" diameter ropes.  Press the two ropes together and roll lightly again.  Slice and bake.  They won't be checkerboard, but they'll be delicious black and white cookies!

Checkerboard Cookies


Makes about 4 dozen cookies
3 1/2 cups flour
1/2 baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 sticks butter (REAL butter, no substitutions) softened
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup cocoa

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder and salt.  In a large bowl,   with a hand mixer, beat together butter, sugar and extracts until fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Add egg and beat well.  Add flour mixture and mix on low until just combined.  With your hands, pat dough into a ball.  Cut in half and remove half to the fridge.  To the other half, beat in the cocoa until mixed thoroughly.  Now cut the chocolate dough and the white dough in half, so you have two equal balls of EACH flavor.  Roll each ball out into equal length & diameter logs, about 18" long.  Then, pat the top flat. I use the flat of a butcher knife to do this.  Then tap the sides flat, so you have 4 square logs, like so:

You may cut these in half to make them easier to work with, if you like.

Then place a chocolate and white next to each other and lightly press together and pat the top flat, like so:

Next stack one set on the other, with alternating flavors, like so:

Now the easy part.  Slice into about 1/3" slices and bake for 10-11 minutes, until golden around the edges.

Abby is hoping I'll drop one on the floor.