Food Recipes Peppermint Checkerboard Cookies 5.0 (1) Add your rating & review A simple sugar cookie dough is the base of these impressive cookies. By Lizzy Briskin Lizzy Briskin Website Lizzy is the food editor at Real Simple magazine. She received professional chef's training at Cambridge School of Culinary Arts in Cambridge Massachusetts and holds and BA in English from Amherst College. Previously, she worked as a freelance food writer, recipe developer, and food photographer for publications and food companies including Runner's World, Insider, and the Chicago Tribune. She also ran Earthen Food Co., a content production and personal chef business in Boston, Massachusetts. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Published on November 18, 2022 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Prep Time: 1 hrs 30 mins Total Time: 3 hrs 20 mins Servings: 22 Yield: 22 Jump to Nutrition Facts Look no further for a festive holiday cookie that is guaranteed to delight. Whether you're headed to a friendly (or competitive) cookie swap, or you’re gifting cookie boxes, you'll want to include this pretty treat. It all starts with a simple sugar cookie dough. Then you'll enhance one half of the dough with a bit of peppermint extract and red food coloring to make the checkerboard effect. The minty edge of these stunning cookies pairs perfectly with hot chocolate. Go above and beyond and gift them with hot cocoa mix, either homemade or store-bought, for a holiday food present to remember. Ingredients 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 cup granulated sugar 1 large egg 1 egg yolk 1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1 teaspoon peppermint extract 1 teaspoon red food coloring Directions Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg, egg yolk, and vanilla; beat on medium speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Gradually add flour mixture, beating on low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds. Transfer half of dough to empty flour mixture bowl. Add peppermint and food coloring to dough in mixer. Beat on low speed until just combined and no streaks remain, about 1 minute. Shape each section of dough into a long rectangular block about 8 inches long, 2 inches wide, and 2 inches high. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until cold and firm, at least 1 hour and up to 3 days. Slice each dough block length-wise into 3 equal strips on a cutting board, then slice each strip lengthwise into thirds to make 9 long, thin strips (about 1/3 inch thick) per block. Line up a strip of pink dough, a strip of white dough, and a second strip of pink dough on cutting board. Gently press strips together. Top with 3 more strips in alternating colors. Repeat for a third layer. Trim off and discard any rounded edges. Repeat with remaining 9 strips, beginning and ending with white dough, to make a second block of checkerboard dough. Rewrap checkerboard dough blocks and refrigerate until cold and firm, at least 1 hour and up to 1 day. Preheat oven to 350°F with racks in upper and lower thirds of oven. Slice each dough block into 1/4-inch-thick squares. Arrange on baking sheets lined with parchment paper, leaving 1 inch between each cookie. Bake until set in center, about 12 minutes. Let cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, about 30 minutes. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Rate it Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 61 Calories 1g Fat 11g Carbs 2g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 22 Calories 61 % Daily Value * Total Fat 1g 1% Saturated Fat 0g 2% Cholesterol 10mg 3% Sodium 43mg 2% Total Carbohydrate 11g 4% Dietary Fiber 0g 1% Total Sugars 0g Protein 2g Vitamin C 0mg 0% Calcium 10mg 1% Iron 1mg 4% Potassium 19mg 0% *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.