This easy recipe for Czech black-and-white cookies or linecke testo dvoubarevne (lih-NETS-keh TAYS-toh dvaw-oo-bah-RREV-nay) can be made into zavitky (pinwheel), sachovnice (checkerboard), kolecka s obrouckou (wheel), rezy ze cytr pruhu (square), and salam (salami) shapes.
These mildly sweet cookies are often served at Christmas when they become part of vanocni cukrovi (vah-NAWTCH-nee koo-KRAW-vee) or Christmas sweets. They look best if left light with just a little browining around the edges. Here's a larger black-and-white cookies photo. And here's how to make checkerboards.
These mildly sweet cookies are often served at Christmas when they become part of vanocni cukrovi (vah-NAWTCH-nee koo-KRAW-vee) or Christmas sweets. They look best if left light with just a little browining around the edges. Here's a larger black-and-white cookies photo. And here's how to make checkerboards.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes
Yield: 4 dozen cookies
Ingredients:
- 8 ounces (2 sticks) softened butter
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
Preparation:
- In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and mix thoroughly. Add the flour and work into a smooth dough. Divide dough in half and mix cocoa powder into half the dough.
- You may roll immediately between waxed or parchment paper but refrigerate before cutting for more even strips.
For Pinwheel Cookies: Roll out each portion of dough between waxed or parchment paper into a 1/8- to 1/4-inch rectangle. Lightly brush one rectangle with egg white. Lay the contrasting color rectangle of dough on top and roll up. Wrap in plastic wrap and referigerate 2 to 3 hours. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Slice into 1/4-inch cookies and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet pan and bake 10-15 minutes.
For Wheel Cookies: On waxed or parchment paper, roll light or dark dough into a 1-inch-thick cylinder. Roll out contrasting-colored dough 1/4-inch thick. Lightly brush with egg white and wrap around the cylinder of dough. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 2 to 3 hours. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Slice into 1/4-inch cookies and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet pan and bake 10-15 minutes.
For Square Cookies: Roll out each portion of dough between waxed or parchment paper into a 3/4-inch-thick rectangle. Refrigerate dough on a flat surface for 30 minutes or so to make cutting easier. From each rectangle, horizontally cut 2 strips 3/4-inch-wide. Place a light and dark strip next to each other. Lightly brush with egg white and and place remaining 2 strips in reverse order on top. If desired, reserve some dough (either color) and roll 1/4-inch thick and wrap around the length of the square, giving it a border. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 2 to 3 hours. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Slice into 1/4-inch cookies and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet pan and bake 10-15 minutes.
For Salami Cookies: Press small leftover scraps of light- and dark-colored dough together and roll into a 2-inch-thick cylinder. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 2 to 3 hours. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Slice cylinder into 1/4-inch cookies and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet pan and bake 10-15 minutes.


