Besides offering a beautiful pattern, these Checkerboard Cookies give both vanilla and chocolate cookie in one. They’re soft butter cookies with a fun and festive look.
In a mixing bowl, add in butter and powdered sugar and beat at medium speed, scraping down the sides of bowl, for about 2-3 minutes (until mixture is creamy).
Beat in eggs and vanilla. Divide batter into two bowls. To one bowl of batter, add 1 2/3 cup flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and all the cocoa powder. To the other bowl add 1 2/3 cup flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Mix each until dough forms.
Drop dough onto counter that's been dusted lightly with foil. Using plastic wrap, shape dough into a rectangle about 1/4--inch thick (see photos in blog post). Repeat with other bowl of cookie dough.
Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes.
Once chilled, cut dough into into strips of about 1/2-inch wide using a sharp knife (or pizza cutter).
Gently beat one egg white. This will be used to stick the dough strips together. Place one strip of plain dough, brush with egg white on the side and attach a strip of chocolate dough next to it. Repeat so there are 4 strips of dough total on the bottom. Repeat on top of this dough, with alternating strips (so you get the checkerboard pattern). You'll create 3 rows of cookie dough stacked upwards.
Wrap the stacked dough log with plastic wrap for about 2 1/2 hours (or up to 24 hours). Cookie dough can also be wrapped in plastic then in foil and frozen for up to 30 days.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Unwrap chilled dough and slice about 1/2-inch thick. Place cookies on prepared cookie sheet, about 1 inch apart. Bake for 13-15 minutes, until edges are lightly browned. Allow to cool 5 minutes on cookie sheet, then transfer to cooling rack to cool completely before serving.
Notes
Use a sharp knife to cut the chilled cookie dough. A dull knife can compress the layers and blur the checkerboard pattern of the cookies.
Baking time may vary with thickness of cookies (and ovens can vary too). Start checking around 13 minutes.
Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.