Small Batch Christmas, Cookie No. 3

Holiday Checkerboards!

I am a complete sucker for checkerboard sweets, even tho’ I can't usually make them come out even to save my soul. But I wasn’t about to let that stop me when I saw how cute these are. (You always need a little something for color, right?)

The good news is that this dough wasn’t as challenging for me to work with as others I’ve tried in the past, so my checkers actually don’t look half bad! However, the melted chocolate portion of the program once again served as a reminder that I should not quit my day job. No nice smooth dip for me, more of a chunky, frosted look. (Every year I think, “I’ll get this this time!” … and every year, the chocolate wins.)

I think I’ll skip it on the rest of them and just dip them in my magnificently-matching sparkly Christmas sugar to cut down on disappointment.

BUT…

Fussy chocolate whine aside, this makes a nice, tender sugar cookie that is very tasty and that’s what counts, right? (Plus, did I mention, CHECKERS!?!)

I’m building quite the festive little cookie plate with these small batches!

Holiday Checkerboard Cookies

makes about 18 cookies

Recipe by: foodnessgracious 

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour 

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

 4 oz butter, softened
1 cup sugar 

1 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg
1-2 drops green food coloring 

1-2 drops red food coloring 

1/2 cup white chocolate chips 

Christmas sprinkles 

Instructions: 

Preheat the oven to 350º F. 

Line a large baking sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone mat.

Cream the softened butter and sugar until light and creamy (high speed for about 3-4 minutes)  Add in the vanilla and the egg and beat again, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times.

Combine baking powder and flour, then gradually add the mixture to the butter mixture on low speed. Once all of the flour has been added, mix until the dough comes together into a ball. (Mine wouldn’t come together until I got in there with my hands, but it did!)

Transfer to a surface lightly dusted with flour and divide the dough into 4 even pieces.

Take one quarter of the dough and add a few drops of green food color to it. Knead the dough until the color has worked its way through and it looks a nice even shade of green.

Repeat this process with one of the other remaining dough quarters, using red this time. The remaining two quarters of plain dough will stay uncolored.

Shape each of the four balls of dough into long blocks about 8 inches long. 

Place a block of the plain sugar cookie next to a block of the green cookie dough and gently press them together. Stack the other plain sugar cookie dough on top of the green cookie dough and finally place the red cookie dough on top of the other plain cookie dough.

Carefully mold the block of dough together and wrap in plastic wrap. 

Place it into the fridge for 30 minutes to chill.

Once the dough has firmed, cut the block of cookie dough into individual cookies about a half inch thick.

Place each cookie onto the prepared baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes or until the cookies are slightly golden around the edges.

After the cookies have cooled, melt the white chocolate and dip a corner of the cookies into the melted chocolate. Add some Christmas sprinkles and let the chocolate set before putting cookies into containers.