Chocolate Orange Checkerboard Cookies Recipes

CHOCOLATE ORANGE CHECKERBOARD COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter, confectioners' sugar and salt until blended. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually beat in flour. Stir in pecans., Divide dough in half. Mix baking cocoa into one half; mix orange zest and extract into remaining half., Shape each portion into a 5-1/2x2x2-in. block. Wrap each block in plastic; refrigerate 30 minutes. , Unwrap dough; cut each block lengthwise into quarters, making four 5-1/2x1x1-in. sticks. Switch two of the chocolate sticks with two of the orange sticks, forming two checkerboard blocks. Gently press sticks together to adhere. Rewrap in plastic; refrigerate 2 hours or until firm., Preheat oven to 350°. Unwrap and cut dough crosswise into 1/4-in. slices. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 9-11 minutes or until set. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.

CHECKERBOARD COOKIES

Steps:

• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until well blended, 1 to 2 minutes. Add vanilla extract, lemon extract, and salt. With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour, scraping down sides of bowl.
• Turn dough out onto a clean work surface; it will be loose and crumbly. Knead dough by pushing small amounts away from you with the heel of your hand for 1 to 2 minutes. Divide dough in half. Sprinkle cocoa powder over one of the halves. Knead until cocoa has been fully incorporated.
• Place each half of the kneaded dough between 2 sheets of plastic. Using a rolling pin, shape dough into two 7-inch squares, about 3/8 inch thick. Using a sharp knife and a ruler, slice each square into nine 3/4-inch-wide strips.
• Whisk together the egg and 1 tablespoon water. Cover work surface with plastic wrap. Place 3 strips of dough on plastic, alternating white and chocolate strips. Brush tops and in between the strips with egg wash. Gently press strips together. Repeat, forming second and third layers, alternating colors to create a checkerboard effect. Wrap assembled log in plastic. Repeat process for second log, reversing color pattern. Refrigerate 30 minutes, or freeze 15 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat baking mat or parchment paper. Slice each log into 1/4-inch-thick slices; place on baking sheet. Bake until done, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove baking sheet from oven, and let cookies cool 2 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

RED AND WHITE CHECKERBOARD COOKIES

Steps:

• Put the white chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring, until melted. Let cool slightly.
• Beat the butter, granulated sugar and salt in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla, then mix in the melted white chocolate. Reduce the speed to low and mix in the flour in two batches until just combined.
• Remove half of the dough; beat the orange zest and food coloring into the remaining dough. Wrap the plain dough and red dough separately in plastic wrap, flatten each into a rectangle and chill until firm, at least 1 hour.
• Working on 2 separate sheets of floured parchment, roll out each piece of dough into a rough 5-by-10-inch rectangle (about 3/8 inch thick), then trim each piece to form a 4 1/2-by-9 1/2-inch rectangle. Using a sharp knife, cut each rectangle lengthwise into nine 1/2-inch-wide strips. (If the dough gets too soft, refrigerate until firm.)
• Lay 3 alternating color strips together (white-red-white). Using a wet finger, moisten the sides and tops so the strips adhere without gaps, pressing to seal. Top with 3 strips in the opposite pattern (red-white-red). Top with 3 more strips, repeating the first pattern. Repeat to build another log, starting with a red-white-red pattern. Wrap the logs and chill for 2 hours.
• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350˚ F. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment. Unwrap the dough. Lightly brush the logs with water, then firmly press the sides in the sanding sugar. Using a sharp knife, trim the ends of the logs, then slice into 1/3- to 1/2-inch-thick cookies, about 24 per log.
• Arrange the cookies 1 1/2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Bake 2 of the pans (refrigerate the other), switching positions halfway through, until the cookies are just set but not browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes on the pans, then remove to a rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining baking sheet.

ORANGE-DARK CHOCOLATE COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Very lightly grease a baking sheet.
• Beat white sugar, brown sugar, butter, shortening, vanilla extract, and orange juice together using an electric mixer in a mixing bowl until creamy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Combine flour, baking soda, salt, and orange zest in another bowl. Stir into butter mixture. Fold in chocolate chips lightly. Chill dough in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
• Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until light golden brown and still soft, but set in the middle, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

CHECKERBOARD COOKIES

Steps:

• Place toasted hazelnuts in your food processor along with the cocoa powder and process until the hazelnuts are finely ground. Set aside.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
• In a small bowl whisk together the flour and salt. Set aside.
• With a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg, vanilla extract and orange zest and beat until well blended. Add the flour mixture and beat just until incorporated.
• Divide the dough in half and place one half of the dough back into the bowl of your electric mixer.
• Divide the dough in half and place one half of the dough back into the bowl and add the cocoa and hazelnut mixture to the dough and beat until incorporated. Set aside.
• Lay out two large sheets of parchment paper (about 10 x 12 inch) and on one sheet of parchment roll out the white dough into a 6 1/2 inch by 10 1/2 inch rectangle, making sure both sides of the dough are smooth. Wrap dough and place on a baking sheet in the freezer for about 15 minutes or until dough is firm.
• Meanwhile, take the chocolate dough and remove 1/2 cup and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside.
• On the second sheet of parchment roll out the remaining chocolate dough into a 6 1/2 inch by 10 1/2 inch rectangle, making sure both sides of the dough are smooth. Wrap dough and place on a baking sheet in the freezer for about 15 minutes or until dough is firm.
• When both the white and chocolate dough are firm, remove from freezer and lay the white dough on a cutting board, removing the parchment paper.
• Lightly brush the top of the white dough with a little water
• Remove the parchment paper from the chocolate dough and place it evenly on top of the white dough.
• Trim the edges of the two dough's so the rectangle now measures 6 inches by 10 inches.
• Take the chocolate dough trimmings and add to the 1/2 cup of reserved chocolate dough.
• Lengthwise cut the rectangle into thirds (3 - 2 inch by 10 inch stripes)
• Place one strip on a piece of plastic wrap. Brush the top of the dough with water and place the second strip on top of the first (alternate colors so you have white, black, white, black pattern). Brush the top of the second layer with water and stack the third layer. Press down lightly on the top of the dough and then wrap and freeze for 15 minutes, or until firm.
• When firm, remove from freezer and unwrap, placing the dough on a cutting board. Using a sharp long knife, cut the layers lengthwise into 1/2 inch wide and 10 inch long strips. (You will end up with 4 strips).
• Stack the layers, turning every other strip so top faces down and bottom faces up, to produce the checkerboard effect. Rewrap stack and place in freezer again to firm up.
• Meanwhile, take the reserved chocolate trimmings and 1/2 cup of chocolate dough and roll out on a piece of parchment paper into approximately 9 1/2 x 10 1/2 inch rectangle, making sure the dough is smooth. Cover and refrigerate until slightly firm.
• Remove stack of checkerboard dough from freezer and place in center of chocolate dough.
• Wrap the chocolate dough around the checkerboard layers until you have a smooth surface that encloses the checkerboard design.
• Wrap in plastic and freeze until firm.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Remove dough from freezer and place on a cutting board.
• With a sharp knife cut the block of dough into 1/4 inch thick slices.
• Place on prepared baking sheet spacing about 1 inch apart.
• Bake for about 5-7 minutes or until cookies just start to brown around the edges.
• Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool.