Butter: Use room temperature butter, typically about 1 cup. Room temperature butter is easier to cream with sugar, which is vital for a smooth dough.
Granulated Sugar: This sweetens the cookies. About 1 cup is usually sufficient for a balanced sweetness.
Eggs: You’ll need 1 whole egg and 1 additional egg yolk. Eggs provide structure and richness to the dough.
Vanilla Extract: Approximately 1 teaspoon, this adds flavor to the vanilla portion of the dough.
Baking Powder: About 1 and a half teaspoons, which acts as a leavening agent, helping the cookies rise slightly during baking.
Kosher Salt: A half teaspoon of salt enhances the flavors of the other ingredients.
All-Purpose Flour: The main dry ingredient, you’ll need about 3 cups. Flour gives the cookie its structure.
Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: A third of a cup is used to flavor and color half of the dough to create the chocolate part of the checkerboard pattern.
Instructions:
Mixing the Dough: Begin by creaming together the butter and sugar. Then, add in the egg, egg yolk, vanilla extract, baking powder, and salt, mixing until smooth. Gradually add the flour.
Dividing the Dough: Once your dough is ready, divide it into two equal parts. Keep one part as is (this will be your vanilla dough) and add cocoa powder to the other half to make chocolate dough.
Shaping and Chilling: Shape both types of dough into logs, wrap them, and chill in the refrigerator. This firmness is crucial for slicing.
Forming the Checkerboard Pattern: After chilling, cut the dough into strips and arrange them in an alternating pattern of vanilla and chocolate to create a checkerboard effect. Chill again before baking.
Baking: Preheat your oven and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice the chilled dough into pieces and bake.
Storing the Cookies: After baking, store the cookies in an airtight container. They can stay fresh for up to 5 days at room temperature. You can also freeze them for longer storage.
Nutrition per Cookie:
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