Christmas Make Ahead Recipe of the Week
September 5, 2007 by Marye Audet
Filed under Autumn, Christmas Baking
We interrupt your journey to chocolate nirvana to remind you that it is now only 16 weeks until Christmas and there are lots of cookie recipes you can freeze ahead now to help keep your holidays a little more stress free. 
Checkerboard cookies are some of my favorites. They look great in gift baskets and on cookie plates and they freeze very well unbaked. When ready to bake just le them thaw a few hours in the fridge, slice and bake! No mess to clean up.
Checkerboard Cookies
1 cup softened unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt
2-1/4 cups flour
1/4 cup Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa
In large bowl, cream butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt till fluffy.
Gradually stir in flour until blended. Gather into ball. Divide
ball in half. With hands or wooden spoon work cocoa into half till
well blended. Divide each half into quarters. Shape each quarter
to 1/2″ thick rope, using lightly floured hands if necessary.
Place a chocolate and a white roll next to each other, then a white
roll on the chocolate, and a chocolate roll on the white. Press
lightly to form a compact roll. Repeat with remaining dough. Wrap
rolls airtight. Chill several hours or overnight or freeze at this point.
When ready to bake (thaw) cut in 3/16″ slices. Place 1/2″ apart on lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake in preheated (350 degree) oven 12 minutes or until white dough
turns golden. Yield: 6 dozen
My boy will like this one; I’ll have to bookmark it. You and you’re crazy Christmas in September — I can’t believe it. Still, it is good to prepare. I won’t be thinking it’s so nuts come Christmas and your kids all have cookies and my poor son has like one sad candy cane to gnaw on.
Jennifer-
There is a method to my madness. I LOVE Christmas. I put up a tree in nearly every room in this drafty old victorian. At this point I put up 8 trees. Then there is the animations. MArc has a ceramic village that goes around hte main tree…It has somehting like 26 houses and businesses in it not including sleighs, bridges etc. It is, in fact, larger than the town we live in.
Then..there is a cookie basket fo hte mail man, one to take to the police station, the firestation..Marc’s work…Gifts for the kids SUnday school teachers, kids church pastor, youth pastor..Our pastor, the people Marc works with…
This is one area I am still organized.
Wow you really LUV x-mas huh. It’s a good idea to give cookies to people like your mailman and teachers and stuff. Although, 8 trees? I hope those are living trees or that you at least use them for firewood — that’s a lot of trees cut down
But I like you so much I can deal.
They are fake trees…..
haven’t used a real tree in years. I trim cedar branches and make swags to go up the stairway for the scent of real trees but, nope, the trees all get stored in the barn loft from Jan3- Nov 15th.
Feel better?
I sure do! I guess I should have known that you of all people would use fake — will you ever forgive me
I like the swags on stairs. My son is named Cedar because of Red Lodge Montana; one of my favorite places. The town is full of Cedar trees and it smells soooo good there. I love Cedar (both of them).
I’m with you on the Start Ahead Christmas! I’ve been baking Christmas Cookies for the past 25yrs I make TONS! 20 different kinds and I make about 30-35 trays. I started mine this week. Funny I made my chkbd already.(different recipe) and am almost done shopping! Glad to see someone else is with me! Good Luck
This is a favorite recipe of mine from my mum. A fun thing you could try is coloring the “plain” dough a “Christmas” color such as red or green for the holidays.
That is a great idea Allison. You can also do just plain dough and do one green and one red. Be sure and use the paste food colors though!