This site uses only a few technical cookies necessary for its operation. By continuing to browse, you accept their use.
To find out more...
To find out more...
Checkerboard biscuits
These biscuits are half and half chocolate and almond in a checkerboard pattern, both in colour and flavour.
145 K 4.7/5 (23 reviews)
4 hours 25 min.
Easy
20 shortbreads biscuits
6 IngredientsLast modified on: March 8th 2012
For 20 shortbreads biscuits, you will need:
- 1
250 g flour - 2
125 g butter - 3
125 g caster sugar - 4
1 egg - 5
15 g powdered cocoa - 6
30 g ground almonds - Total weight: 595 grams
Change these quantities to make:
Change measures:
Times for this recipe
Preparation: 1 hour 25 min.
Resting: 2 hours 45 min.
Cooking: 15 min.
All in all: 4 hours 25 min.
If you start now, at , you will finish around : ?.Change start time
To finish around 7pm, you'll need to have started before: .Change end time
Step by step recipe
Stage 1 - 10 min.
Put 250 g flour, 125 g butter, 125 g caster sugar and 1 egg into a food-processor bowl. Knead until evenly mixed.
Stage 2 - 2 min.
Take out half the dough and set aside. Add 30 g ground almonds to the remaining dough and knead for a further 1 or 2 minutes until evenly mixed.
Gather the almond dough into a flattened cake, wrap in stretch plastic film and refrigerate for 2 hours (or overnight).
Gather the almond dough into a flattened cake, wrap in stretch plastic film and refrigerate for 2 hours (or overnight).
Stage 3 - 2 min.
Put the other half of the dough back in the bowl, add 15 g powdered cocoa and knead for a further 1 or 2 minutes until evenly mixed.
Stage 4 - 2 hours
Gather the chocolate dough into a flattened cake, wrap in stretch plastic film and refrigerate for 2 hours (or overnight).
Stage 5 - 5 min.
After this time, roll out the chocolate dough into a long rectangle about 1 cm (0.4 inch) thick.
It is best to use guide rules to help you do this (I'm using 2 iron bars here).
It is best to use guide rules to help you do this (I'm using 2 iron bars here).
Stage 6 - 25 min.
Then cut the dough lengthways into long strips 1cm wide.
Do the same with the almond dough.
Do the same with the almond dough.
Stage 7 - 5 min.
Use a deep cake tin or mould and lay a first layer in the bottom, alternating stripes of chocolate and almond.
Stage 8 - 30 min.
Moisten the top of this layer with a brush dipped in water.
Stage 9 - 45 min.
Arrange a second layer of alternate stripes, but the other way round. So, if the first layer began with a chocolate stripe, the second layer should begin with an almond one.
Continue alternating the strips in layers like this until you have used them all, moistening between the layers.
Put in the freezer for 45 minutes to firm up the dough a little and make it easier to cut.
Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F).
Continue alternating the strips in layers like this until you have used them all, moistening between the layers.
Put in the freezer for 45 minutes to firm up the dough a little and make it easier to cut.
Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F).
Stage 10 - 5 min.
After this time, remove the block of dough from the mould and cut into slices about 1cm thick.
Stage 11
Place the slices on a baking sheet.
Stage 12 - 15 min.
Bake for around 15 minutes 200°C (390°F), but do not let the almond part brown.
Remarks
As always with shortbread-style biscuits, it is important not to overcook them. They should still be slightly yielding and not completely hard and dry.
You can vary this recipe however you wish, using flavours other than chocolate and almonds, so use your imagination.
You can vary this recipe however you wish, using flavours other than chocolate and almonds, so use your imagination.
Keeping: A few days in an airtight tin.
Source: Home made.
Nutritional information
| Proteins (gr) | Carbohydrates (gr) | Fats (gr) | Energy value (in k-calories) | Energy value (in k-joules) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole recipe | 40 RDI=20 % | 320 RDI=30 % | 130 RDI=20 % | 2,630 RDI=130 % | 11,020 RDI: 130 % |
| Per 100 g | 6 RDI=2 % | 50 RDI=5 % | 20 RDI=3 % | 440 RDI=20 % | 1,850 RDI: 20 % |
| Per shortbread biscuits | 1 RDI=1 % | 20 RDI=2 % | 6 RDI=1 % | 130 RDI=7 % | 550 RDI: 7 % |
How much will it cost?
- For 20 shortbreads biscuits : 2.15 €
- Per shortbread biscuits : 0.15 €
Change currency: 
Note: Be careful, these prices are only an estimate, you can consult the table of prices by ingredients used for this estimate.
This recipe uses (among others)
Flour
Like these other recipes: Gâteau Nantais, Oat shortbread biscuits, Wiener Schnitzel, Buckwheat almond biscuits, Lobster Thermidor, ... See them all 201
Butter
Like these other recipes: Lemon tart, Manou's zucchinis garnished, Plum and hazelnut crumble, Poppy seed and lemon cake, Spinach and cauliflower with sesame béchamel sauce, ... See them all 472
Caster sugar
Like these other recipes: Fruit paste : Blackcurrant, Coconut-vanilla cream for Elsa , Apple Tatin Terrine, Caramelised apple custards, Pears in red wine with blackcurrant , ... See them all 361
Ground almonds
Like these other recipes: Soft chocolate-orange cake, Linzer torte, Chestnut moelleux, Amiens macaroons, Armagnac marzipan, ... See them all 46
Other recipes you may also like
French onion soup
This warming onion soup is an emblematic French dish, both in bistro cuisine and home cooking. This is a very classic version. The long, slow cooking is the secret to revealing its full flavour.December 30th 201971 K 23.8 2 hours 30 min.
New Zealand pies
New Zealand pies are small pies with different fillings that can be found in any "eatery", those informal places where you can eat in or take away. In this recipe, you'll find a spicy beef version, and another with salmon and bacon.June 15th 20252,711 1 hour 30 min.
Flambéd bananas
The trick of this recipe is to end up with bananas caramelised on the outside, still firm on the inside, coated with a tasty syrup which is not 95% butter.February 21th 2011333 K 14 40 min.
Chinois
"Chinese" - what a strange name for this cake! A kind of brioche, filled with confectioner's custard (crème pâtissière) which can be decorated with fondant icing.September 10th 2018270 K 24.7 5 hours 30 min.
Vanilla sugar
Almost essential in patisserie, you can find it in expensive little sachets of about 10g. It's necessary to distinguish between the vanilla sugar which really contains vanilla, and vanillin sugar, purely chemical which has never seen a vanilla pod. Here is how to quickly make a whole jar full of...August 12th 2018425 K 15 30 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com
Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2025-07-13)
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Post a comment or question
Follow this recipe
If you are interested in this recipe, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the recipe is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.