Funky Checkerboard Cookies

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My family loves to play board games and one of it is checkers and what fun it is to be able to make them into cookies in this unique recipe which I had adapted from one of my baking cookbooks....They are so delicious and tasty that we can eat them for breakfast ....dipping them in our hot chocolate in the morning .....it takes some time to make them but they are worth it everytime I make them as you will see the impressions they make with children of all ages even adults too....I usually make them 2 days before and just put them in the fridge to chill ...when I have someone come over to our place  , I would just cut them and bake them in the oven to serve my friends and relatives.....voila....we would have freshly baked checkerboard cookies....

Funky Checkerboard Cookies
Ingredients :

16 oz  unbleached plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
4 oz butter /margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 oz cocoa powder
milk for assembling the cookies

Method :

Sift the flour, baking powder  and salt in a bowl and set aside. Beat the butter/margarine  and sugar till creamy on medium speed . Reduce the speed to low and beat in the egg and vanilla extract till blended.Beat in the flour mixture till combined . Remove half of the dough. Mix in the cocoa powder until combined .Shape the vanilla and chocolate doughs each  into 12 inch by 2 inch by 1 inch block.
Slice each block lengthwise into two 12" by 1" by 1" strips . Brush one side of one chocolate strip with milk. Place the brushed side next to the vanilla strip. Repeat the remaining 2 strips .Brush top of one vanilla/chocolate rectangles with some milk. Place the second vanilla / chocolate rectangle on top., reversing colours so end forms checkerboard (see the photo below). Wrap in the parchment paper and using paper to square the edges.Refrigerate the dough for at least 4 hours or overnight.
( If using margarine, put in the fridge overnight to firm up)




Preheat oven to 350F /180C. Line 2 baking sheet pans with some parchment paper. Cut the dough  into 1/4 inch thick slices. Place the slices , 1/2 inch apart  on the baking sheet pans and bake them for about 15 minutes. Cool them in the baking sheet pans on wire racks for 5 minutes.
Cool the cookies completely on wire rack before storing them in air tight containers.


      Funky Checkerboard Cookies