Spiced Checkerboard Cookies (kue kering domino berempah)

I LOVE cookies as much as I make it.. Cause I can "play" with the dough, it reminds me when I was kid I played (tried to make actually)with cookie dough when my aunties or my late grandma made them in our kitchen....Yeahh.. I started love and enjoy making things in kitchen since I was Child....Mostly we made cookies and other traditional Indonesian cake and meals. So making cookies (or in Indonesian language we call it "Kue Kering") always bring some kind of nostalgic memory...  

 There are many kind of cookies from Indonesia that I know and some I already posted in my Blog. But this 'Kue kering Domino' (that's we usually call it), frankly speaking, this is my first!

Yes, there's always first time of everything, right? d(^_^)b  and I admit, this cookies far away from perfect ! I must try better next time. I love spicy or cheesy cookies, not really sweet, so will be perfect with my tea or coffee d(^_^)b

Because I use spice and small amount of cocoa, the brown color of  these cookies less contrast with the white (yellow) dough. You can add more cocoa if you like or add dark chocolate color will be nice.

 Ingredients:
Prepare all ingredients in room temperature.
- 3 cups flour
- 1+ 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 package (250 grams) unsalted butter
- 3 /4 cup caster sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons cocoa powder
- 3 tsp cinnamon powder
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 tsp vanilla powder.

Method:


1) Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, vanilla and ginger powder. Set aside. In other smaller place, sifted and mixed cocoa powder, cinnamon, powdered cloves. Set aside.


2) Using electric mixer, mix butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. mix in the eggs, mix until well blended.


3) mix in flour mixture, stirring until completely mixed. Knead dough until well blended and can be formed. Divide the dough into 2 equal parts. One part leave it white. Another part mixed with chocolate mixture, knead until well blended.


4) Divide again each part evenly into 2 equal parts ( illustration A). Roll each piece with a rolling pin about 1.5 cm thick (I use double wax paper to roll dough so it won't be sticky) illustration B. Do the same thing to other dough. Wrap each with plastic film (figure D) and store in refrigerator 3 hours minimum.


5) Take the dough, roll again with a rolling pin and make rectangular shape with a thickness about 1.5 cm  (figure E and F). Cut lengthwise with distance about 1.5 cm also (figure G). Arrange the dough alternating chocolate and white (figure H). In that picture, I made 3x3 cookie dough, but you can also make it 4x4.


6) Wrap again with plastic film and store in FREEZER minimum 2 hours or up to overnight (no problem) until you are ready to cut and bake it (figure I)


7) When ready to bake, Pre-heat oven at 170 deg C. Remove dough from freezer and let stand briefly to thaw slightly (but not too soft). Use very sharp knife to cut. Cut about 1.5 cm thick, arrange on a baking sheet lined with bake paper and give a wide range in between (figure J) because cookies will rise a bit. Bake for 15 ~ 18 min (depending on your oven conditions) until the bottom is  slightly brown - Do not get burnt yaaaa.. ..(^_^). 

Remove and let chill about 5 min before  moved (figure K and L)

Store in airtight jars.
::  Yield 1 batch about 700 gr, so if you want to make it more, you can double the recipe ..

Have a cookie day !! d(^_^)b