Checkerboard Cookies

180 g Unsalted butter, at room temperature 120 g Caster sugar 1 Egg 1 tsp Orange extract

330 g German #405 flour 1/8 tsp Salt 15 g Alkalized cocoa powder

1. In a bowl whisk together the flour and salt. Set aside. beat the butter and sugar with your electric mixer until fluffy and lemon white in colour. Blend in the egg and orange extract. Sift in the flour mixture and beat at slow speed just until incorporated.
   
   
   
   
2. Divide the dough into two portions. On one sheet of parchment roll out the white dough into a 24x26 cm rectangle. Wrap dough and place on a baking sheet in the freezer for about 15 minutes or until dough is firm. Combine the sieved cocoa powder with the other portion of dough. Reserve 50 grams of chocolate dough for wrapping the checkerboard dough log. Cover with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge. On another sheet of parchment roll out the rest of the chocolate dough into a 24x26 cm rectangle. Wrap dough and place on a baking sheet in the freezer until dough is firm.
   
   
   
   
3. Remove both the dough from the fridge and lay the light dough on a parchment paper. Lightly brush the top of the light dough with a little water and place chocolate dough evenly on top of the light dough. Lengthwise cut the rectangle into four strips, each about 6 x 26 cm.
   
   
4. Place one strip on a piece of plastic wrap. Brush the top of the dough with water and place the second strip on top of the first, alternating two colours until all four are done. Press down lightly on the top of the dough and then wrap and freeze for 15 minutes until firm. Once firm, remove from freezer and cut the layers lengthwise into 4 strips, each about 1.5x26 cm long strips. Stack four strips, alternating two colours to yield the checkerboard pattern. Wrap and place in freezer again to firm up. Meanwhile roll out the reserved chocolate dough into a 24x26 rectangle on a sheet of parchment paper. Cover and refrigerate until slightly firm or up to a month.
   
   
5. Preheat oven to 175C/350F and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Remove dough from freezer and cut the dough into 6 mm thick slices. Place on prepared baking sheet spacing about an inch apart. Bake in the center of the preheated oven for about 10-12 minutes until cookies just start to brown around the edges. Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool. Baked cookies can be stored in an airtight container up to one week.