CHECKER BOARD COOKIES

I always love to read recipe books that has elaborate pictures especially, when it comes to baking complicated recipes. One day I was browsing at our local library I came across this wonderful recipe which was clearly illustrated with pictures. I borrowed and tried these tempting cookies. I couldn’t believe it would taste so great. It is almost 7 years now I have been baking these cookies usually on some special occasions. 

I feel so sorry for not able to recollect the name of the author and the book. My Sincere apologies to the Author of book . The original recipes suggested to use cooking chocolate since this time when I checked my pantry and I was running short of the bitter chocolates hence I substituted good quality dark chocolate with 7o % cocoa mass.

I also added almond meal and orange zest to enhance more flavor.

Ingredients
2 cups plain flour
½ almond meal
¾ cup butter
¾ sugar
1tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
1tsp Baking powder
1tbslp Orange zest
2 ounce cooking chocolate

Shift flour, almond meal and baking powder.Cream butter and sugar until mixed well.Add egg and vanilla extract.Wisk till it is light and fluffy and then add orange zest.

Gradually add flours and knead into a soft dough.If the dough is too soft, refrigerate it for 10 minutes.

Divide the dough into two equal portion.Add melted cooking chocolate to one portion.

Divide each portion into 6 small balls of each.

Roll the ball into a log and arrange them as shown in the pictures.

Wrap them in a butter paper tightly and store them in the refrigerater for about 8 hours or overnight .Preheat the oven at 175 ‘C. line the baking tray with a butter paper. Slice the log.

Arrange the cookies with a gap of an inch.Bake them for 8 to 10 mins.

Cool them and store them in an airtight container.

Variation. There is also one more interesting variation of checker board cookies.
http://www.joyofbaking.com/CheckerboardCookies.html