Holiday Baking: Checkerboard Squares recipe by Esther Brody

Holiday baking inspiration excepted from Esther Brody’s new book 250 Best Cookie Recipes

Ingredients

1 cup softened butter or margarine (2 sticks) 250 mL

1⁄2 cup granulated sugar 125 mL

6 tbsp packed brown sugar 90 mL

11⁄2 tsp baking powder 7 mL

1 egg 1

2 tsp vanilla 10 mL

11⁄2 cups +2tbsp all-purpose flour 375 mL +25mL

2 squares (each 1 oz/28 g) 2 unsweetened chocolate, melted (see page 11)

Method

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) Ungreased cookie sheet

In a bowl, beat butter or margarine and sugars until smooth and creamy. Beat in egg until incorporated. Stir in vanilla and baking powder.

Gradually add flour, mixing in as much as possible, then stirring in remainder with a wooden spoon.

Divide dough in half. Knead melted chocolate into one portion of dough until combined. Divide plain and chocolate doughs in half. Shape each portion into 8-inch (20-cm)

logs. (You will have two plain logs and two chocolate logs.) Wrap each tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours until firm.

On a floured surface, place one plain roll
and one chocolate roll side by side. Top the plain roll with another chocolate roll and the chocolate roll with a plain roll. Press logs together firmly so they adhere and, using
your hands, square the sides to make a square- shaped log. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate 6 hours until firm.

Using a knife, cut log into slices 1⁄4 inch (0.5 cm) thick. Place about 2 inches (5 cm) apart on cookie sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes until bottoms are lightly browned. Immediately transfer to wire racks to cool.

Makes about 6 dozen

Excerpted from 250 Best Cookie Recipes by Esther Brody. Text copyright © 2001, 2013 Esther Brody. Photographs copyright © 2001, 2013 Robert Rose Inc. Arranged by special permission of the Publisher Robert Rose Inc. robertrose.ca. Available where books are sold.

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