Checkerboard Shortbread Cookies
Soft and buttery checkerboard shortbread cookies, flavored with almond extract and fresh orange zest, and colored with matcha green tea powder. Included is a video tutorial, demonstrating how to cut and layer the cookie dough to make the checkerboard pattern for these slice and bake cookies.
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Equipment
- Food Processor or Pastry Cutter
Ingredients
Vanilla Cookie Dough
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, fluffed, spooned and leveled
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- ½ tsp freshly grated orange zest
- ½ cup unsalted butter, cold
- 2 tbsp milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp almond extract
Matcha Cookie Dough
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, fluffed, spooned and leveled
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp culinary matcha powder
- ¼ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- ½ tsp freshly grated orange zest
- ½ cup unsalted butter, cold
- 2 tbsp milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp almond extract
Instructions
Vanilla Cookie Dough
- In your food processor, pulse the flour, powdered sugar, salt, and orange zest, to combine.
- Cut the butter into 8 pieces, and with the processor running, drop the pieces of butter down the chute. Process the mixture until crumbly and no visible chunks of butter remain.
- Combine the milk, vanilla, and almond extracts. With the processor running, pour the milk mixture down the chute. Process the dough until it all comes together.
- Dump the dough out onto a clean counter and use your hands to finish kneading any dry floury bits into the dough, until you have a smooth ball of dough.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Matcha Cookie Dough
- Make the matcha dough, exactly as you made the vanilla dough, adding the matcha powder at the beginning with the flour and other dry ingredients.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Shaping the Dough
- Before beginning, I highly recommend watching the video tutorial, in the recipe card. The video will demonstrate this process in much greater detail than the few process photos included below.
- Shape the vanilla dough into a 6x6 inch square, making it as smooth and even as possible. I lined a 6x6 square pan with plastic wrap, and pressed the dough into the pan, to help mold it into a square. Then I used a rolling pin to smooth out my finger impressions on top of the dough, and a bench scraper to press the sides back into a square shape.
- Now shape the matcha dough into a 6x6 inch square.
- Use a dry pastry brush to brush all excess flour off both squares of dough.
- Lightly brush the top of the vanilla dough with water - you only need to use just enough water to make the dough sticky, and this will help to seal the layers together. Then place the matcha dough on top. Press it down gently to seal the layers together, and use a bench scraper to square the sides.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, and freeze for 20 minutes before the next step.
Cutting and Layering the Dough
- Measure and cut the square of dough into two equal halves.
- Lightly brush the top of one half with water, and stack the other half on top, pressing them together gently but firmly, to make sure they're sealed together.
- Wrap in plastic wrap, and freeze for 20 minutes.
- Measure the dough, then use a sharp chef's knife or bench scraper to cut the dough into 4ths, lengthwise, trying to make your cuts as uniform as possible. You'll now have four slabs of dough, with alternating stripes of green and white running lengthwise.
- Lay one of the dough slabs down, and lightly brush the top with water. Stack a second slab of dough on top, making sure you alternate the green and white stripes, to form the checkerboard pattern. Finish stacking all four slabs of dough, sealing each together with a little water.
- Use a rolling pin or the flat side of a bench scraper to gently press the four long sides of your rectangular "prism" of dough, to make sure each layer is sealed together.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, and freeze for 20 minutes.
Cutting the Cookies
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Use a sharp chef's knife to trim the uneven ends off the dough, then cut 1/4 inch thick cookies. Place the cookies 1 1/2 inches apart on the baking sheets.
- Refrigerate the cut cookies on the baking sheet for 20 minutes, while you preheat the oven.
Baking the Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven.
- Bake one pan of cookies at a time, for about 15-17 minutes. If you very gently turn one of the cookies over, it should have no appearance of raw or wet dough underneath.
- Cool the cookies on the pan for 5 minutes, then gently transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely. The hot cookies are delicate, so handle with care.
- For a simple finish, sprinkle the cookies lightly with granulated sugar while they're still warm.
Video
Notes
- The dough can be made in advance, wrapped well, and refrigerated for up to 3 days, or frozen for up to 3-6 months.
- The baked cookies should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week, or in the freezer for up to 3-6 months.
- The baked cookies are not crunchy, but have a soft, buttery, shortbread like texture.
- If you don't have matcha powder, you can simply use green food coloring to color half the dough.
- For a brown/black and white checkerboard cookie, use chocolate and vanilla dough. See this post on chocolate and vanilla striped cookies for inspiration.
- For a bold red and white checkerboard cookie, see this post on red and white striped cookies for inspiration on coloring the dough.
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