Checkers & Marbles

One day during my usual Internet surfing sessions, I chanced upon an image of the Checkers. It looked neat and distinct. I absent mindedly started googling it through the images option on Google. I went on to see so many types of the same. My mind raced back to the days when I used to sit leisurely and play on Checkerboards. What beautiful days those were. Sitting idly with all the time in the world for board games. I miss them loads.

There was one such image which caught my eye. I clicked on it and stared at it in awe for a while. I fancied if I could ever try it. The first answer that came in my mind was a big IMPOSSIBLE. Then I went on to read the details. The next day I browsed again for it. I spent a good two hours clicking on different websites and learning how I could go about with this. I collected a lot of information, compiled it and then I knew what to do. I am not very artistic. Arts hardly inspire me. But this held my attention. I was determined to try it. I did not care what the outcome would be.  But I went on to do it.

You must be wondering  what I am talking about. Yes, Its another recipe. I felt super good after I made them. It was the checkers pattern which was fascinating. Their smell was appeatising and they were so easy to make. They combined both the Chocolate and Vanilla Flavour. They are called the Checkerboard Cookies.

These cookies looked complicated initially. I was finally inspired by a  holiday recipe for Checkerboard cookies from the archive of Elizabeth MacMullen from the Frankford section of Philadelphia. The recipe had step by step visuals which made it look so simple. I once again confirmed my liking for making cookies. 

This dough was kind of crumbly, but I love that it went directly into the refrigerator (instead of the oven) for a bit. That way I could clean up the kitchen before slicing and baking them . I seriously hate a messed kitchen while I work in it.

 

The last time I made cookies of this type, the results were just satisfactory. Sure, they tasted good. I dont say Delicious. But I knew they were supposed to look neater,smoother and smaller. The prospect of dividing the dough perfectly even kind of freaks you out, and you don’t have a kitchen scale (like me). Some of the measurements I do are not very accurate. That is where I lose my way. But the results are not actually bad. I give my try decent rating points. Not that I am partial towards my effort. But sometimes I feel that the dish has more potential than the actual outcome and there is always a NEXT TIME for a much better result.

 

 

 

So, in case you haven't figured out by now, I'm an not a very obsessive compulsive baker. I am still in the learning phase. Trial and Error Method is what I adopt in baking. When I find new recipes I like to try them, and I'm constantly working on developing my own recipe ideas.

 

Coming back to the cookies, I love the squares and it's a not-too-sweet cookie, if that's what you're looking for. I think these would be pretty stacked, wrapped in wax paper and tied with a red ribbon to give anyone.

Checkerboard cookies helped me make the Marble cookies as well. The leftover bits and pieces of the dough in the end lay in a heap on my cutting board. I joined all and kneaded the dough to finally make small rounds which perfectly resembled the marble cookies. It was as if I had just killed two birds with the same stone.

Thanks to the Internet, I could try another recipe, one that  any person could vouch for. Recipe for the Checker board cookies will be published in my next post.