Lime Checkerboards
- Level: Intermediate
- Yield: about 36 cookies
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 36 servings
- Calories
- 103
- Total Fat
- 5
- Saturated Fat
- 3
- Carbohydrates
- 14
- Dietary Fiber
- 0
- Sugar
- 7
- Protein
- 1
- Cholesterol
- 18
- Sodium
- 28
- Total: 4 hr 30 min
- Prep: 4 hr 15 min
- Cook: 15 min
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 large egg
Finely grated zest of 1 lime
1/2 teaspoon lime extract or lemon-lime extract (optional)
Green food coloring
Directions
- Whisk the flour and salt in a bowl. Beat the butter, cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy, 3 minutes. Beat in the egg, lime zest and extract. Reduce the mixer speed to low; beat in the flour mixture. Transfer half of the dough to a separate bowl; tint with food coloring.
- Dust the dough with flour; roll out each color separately on floured parchment into a 1/4-inch-thick rectangle. Freeze until firm, 15 minutes.
- Trim each piece into a 4 1/2-by-7 1/2-inch rectangle, reserving the scraps. Cut each rectangle lengthwise into nine 1/2-inch-wide strips. Lay 3 strips side-by-side on a baking sheet (white, green, white). Set 3 more strips on top, alternating colors (green, white, green). Top with three more strips (white, green, white). Build another log starting with green-white-green. Chill the logs.
- Gather the scraps, keeping the colors separate. Roll out each on floured parchment into a 5-by-8-inch rectangle, 1/4 inch thick. Wrap the green rectangle around the log with the white corners and wrap the white rectangle around the log with the green corners; trim the excess. Wrap the logs in plastic; chill 2 hours.
- Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Slice the logs into 1/3-inch-thick cookies; arrange 1 1/2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Bake, switching the pans halfway through, until set, 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes; transfer to racks to cool completely.