Chessboard cookies ('Schackrutor') – recipe

Makes approximately 40 cookies.

Oven temperature: 200°C or 392°F.

Preparation time: 20 minutes, plus some extra time to let set.

Ingredients:

• 400 ml (4 dl or 1,7 cup) plain flour
• 100 ml (1 dl or 0,42 cup) potato starch
• 1 pinch of salt
• 200 g (7 ounces) cold butter
• 100 ml (1 dl or 0,42 cup) caster sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract or 2 tbsp vanilla sugar
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder

Method:

1. Measure up the plain flour, potato starch and salt in a bowl. Add the chilled, chopped-up butter and blend this into the flour mixture using your fingers. Work the mixture into a dough before adding the caster sugar. Knead the dough a little until it has a smooth texture. The dough can also be mixed using a processor.
2. Divide the dough in half and knead vanilla extract into one part and cocoa into the other. Flatten both parts a little and let them rest in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
3. Using a rolling pin, shape the vanilla dough into a 1 cm (or just above) thick rectangle. Repeat the procedure with the cocoa dough and place one part on top of the other. Press lightly. Cut the double-dough into bars measuring just over 1 cm and place these two by two – with the cocoa parts facing the vanilla ones.
4. Cut the dough into 4 mm thick slices and place the cookies on baking trays lined with greaseproof paper.
5. Bake in the middle of the oven for 7-10 minutes and allow to cool. The cookies keep for about a week at room temperature and are suitable for freezing.

Vegan alternative: Replace the butter with plant-based margarine.