This holiday recipe for checkerboard cookies is from the archive of Elizabeth MacMullen from the Frankford section of Philadelphia.
Ingredients
1/2 lb butter
5 1/2 cups sifted flour
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 squares (2 oz) baking chocolate (melted)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
Mix flour, baking powder and salt
In large bowl, cream butter and sugar together, add in eggs beat, followed by vanilla extract, then add in remaining dry ingredients. Mix well.
Split the prepared dough into two separate bowls.
One half should be blended in with the melted chocolate. The other one half of dough should be remain plain vanilla.
Place the vanilla block in a flat baking pan lined with clear wrap. Flatten with hand into a flat layered block.
Mix the other dough with the melted chocolate, to create a second chocolate block layer.
Repeat layering process with the chocolate block. Next, place the sheet into the freezer to cool for about 2 hours.
With a sharp cutting knife, slice the large brick in half.
Overlap and stack the strips to create the trademark checkerboard crosshatch.
Repeat the procedure once again to create an eight alternating chocolate/vanilla cross hatch pattern. Smooth edges
Cut across the brick to create individual cookies, place on baking tray.
Heat oven to 350 degrees, and bake for 11 minutes.
Remove from oven and place on wire cooling racks.
