Condensed Milk Chocolate Pound Cake

Thanks to Aspiring Bakers by Small Small Baker, I'm digging out all my backlogs and getting them posted online :)

This Condensed Milk Pound Cake was a hit back in 2007/8.  Many bakers tried and raved about it.

The only time I buy condensed milk is to make this cake (and this easy chocolate chip cookie here) for I have no other use for it.  Instead of baking the regular pound cake, I added some cocoa powder and turned it into a chocolate cake.

Verdict:  As good as plain, if not better.

I'm submitting this to Aspiring Bakers # 7: Chocolate Delight (May 2011) hosted by DG from Tested & Tasted.

Condensed Milk Chocolate Pound Cake

Ingredients

(A)
120g Butter, room temperature
40g Caster Sugar (I omit vanilla essence and used vanilla sugar instead)

(B)
1/4 Tsp Salt
1/2 Cup or 100g Condensed Milk

(C)
100g Cake Flour
20g Cocoa Powder
3/4 Tsp Baking Powder
1/4 Tsp Baking Soda
*Sift together

(D)
2 Eggs

Method

1. Preheat oven to 170 deg.C
2. In a bowl, cream butter and sugar till light and fluffy.
3. Add in salt and condensed milk, whisk till incorporated.
4. Add the sifted dry ingredients and beat until no traces of flour remains.
5. Beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well and scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl after each additions.
6. Pour the mixture into muffin cups and bake at 170 deg.C for 25 - 30 mins or till top is brown and skewer inserted comes out clean.

Mayonnaise Chocolate Cake

Whenever I have unfinished mayonnaise, I will use it to bake this cake.  I've blogged about this before but I've done injustice to it with my lousy photographs, so I decide to make another entry.

A few months ago, SM was sharing with me about her ailing grandmother and how her mother toiled through days and nights in the hospital, keeping her grandmother company.  Upon hearing what SM's mom was going through, and I know her family likes chocolate cake, I decided to bake her mom this Mayonnaise Chocolate Cake, hoping that it will cheer her up a little.

I baked a 7" x 7" and gave 1/2 to SM.  Her kids love this and she sms-ed me to ask if I would accept her order.  I feel honoured that I've got kind folks like her asking if I sell my bakes but I feel very stressful when it comes to taking orders.  I prefer to bake and give-away, at least the commitment level is different :P  Yes, call me a coward, I don't like to take on responsibilities like this, definitely too much for me to stomach.

The texture is soft and moist.

I'm submitting this to Aspiring Bakers # 7: Chocolate Delight (May 2011) hosted by DG from Tested & Tasted.

Mayonnaise Chocolate Cake

Adapted from My Cooking Escapades

Ingredients
110g mayonnaise
125ml buttermilk (I used 110ml milk + 15ml lemon juice, stand for  min 10 mins before using)
120g all-purpose plain flour
20g cocoa powder
1-1/2 tsp bicarbonate soda
110g vanilla sugar
1/2 cup chocolate chips (or more), optional

Method

1. Line a 7" square baking tin with parchment paper (no need to grease).
2. Sift flour, cocoa and bicarbonate soda together.
3. Place the sugar and sifted flour mixture into a bowl.
4. In a separate bowl, mix the mayo and buttermilk till smooth.
5. Add mayonnaise mixture to the flour and mix till the batter is smooth.
6. Pour mixture into prepared pan and sprinkle chocolate chips on top.  Bake at 170 deg C for 20-25 minutes or until skewer inserted to centre of cake comes out clean.
   
   

Ferrero Rocher Nutella Chocolate Cake

Time passes so fast and we're already into the month of May. Just a week ago, I was instant messenging with SL and suddenly remembered SA1 (Semestral Assesment) is just round the corner. As usual, I'm not sitting down with DD1 for her revision. Some people may ask, "You have time to blog but no time to do revision with your daughter? Which is more important?". Not that I'm blogging a lot lately...  oh well...  and if you know me in person, you must have heard enough of my dissatisfaction with DD1. She is not stupid but plain lazy. To make things worst, she's a dawdler. I won't go into details here, it will take a long time if I do.

There were 2 birthdays in April, DH and myself. With my frozen Nutella SMBC that was sitting in the freezer since February, it is time to clear some freezer space. With that intention in mind, I baked a chocolate chiffon cake again for DH's birthday, nothing fanciful again, just trying to clear off whatever I can find in my fridge.

DH got home after work and the moment he saw this cake, his first comment was "Oh.. it's a children's cake". He is not wrong to make this statement for these are all my kids' favourite (they have lots of favourites), Ferrero Rocher and wafer biscuits.

We received a box of Ferrero Collection last December and again, it was sitting in the fridge since. DS1 thought the white chocolate coconut was cool but upon his first bite, he grimmaced and asked if he could spit it out. DH couldn't disagree that the white rocher tasted yucky too :P

I know I lack the skill to cut these wafer biscuits into equal parts so I just cut them up randomly and cover the side of the cake. Bingo! What a perfect way to cover up the flaws and finish up the junks ;-)

I didn't bother to add any other junks goodies in the layer, just a thin layer of SMBC to hold the 2 layers together. I should have taken a picture of the cake in the day for natural lighting but the cakes were given away.

For recipe, please refer here.

I'm submitting this to Aspiring Bakers # 7: Chocolate Delight (May 2011) hosted by DG from Tested & Tasted.

Parmesan Cream Crackers

How many of you are using dairy whipping cream for cake decorating and always end up with 1/2 or more carton left but do not know what to do with it?  I had this problem, that explains why I'm always on the lookout for recipes with whipping cream, so that the balance won't go to waste.  When I get lazy, I just freeze the balance to cook creamy pasta.

There are several recipes online with whipping cream and here's sharing one that I like, Parmesan Cheese Crackers.

The original recipe uses the food processor but I used the rub-in method.

I'm submitting this to Aspiring Bakers # 6: Say Cheese! (April 2011) hosted by Noms I Must.

Parmesan Cream Crackers
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour (120g), more as needed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (40g) grated Parmesan cheese
4 tbsp (60g) unsalted butter, cut into 1 inch cubes
1/4 cup (60ml) whipping cream, more as needed
Coarse salt, pepper, sesame for sprinkling (optional)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 190C.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly dust with flour.
2. Put flour, salt and cheese in mixing bowl.  Using a fork, cut in butter until it resembles fine bread crumbs.
3. Add about 1/4 cup whipping cream and roughly work until a dough forms. If it does not come together, add more liquid a teaspoon at a time, until mixture holds together but is not sticky. (I didn't add any extras)
4. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface until 1/4-inch thick or even thinner, adding flour as needed.
5. From here, you can either form them into individual crackers and bake them an inch apart on your baking sheet (the method I used) or transfer the entire rolled-out sheet to your baking sheet and score them lightly with a knife, pizza or pastry wheel to break into crackers after they are baked. For either method, dock all over with a fork and sprinkle with salt or any other toppings you are using. (I omit the toppings)
6. Bake until moderately browned, about 12 minutes. Cool on a rack; serve warm or at room temperature or store in a tin for a few days.

Chocolate Banana Cupcakes

Pardon my disappearance.  We went away to Malacca on a short trip and prior to that, DH was on business trip.  During his absence, there were literally no time to think of him, until he sms-ed at night to tell me he won't be online for he has some other matters to attend to.  He was away for a week but we never spoke nor chat online.  Imagine how busy I was, to not remember my very own husband while he was away.

My kids love bananas especially DS2 and DD3.  The strange thing is, they will ask for bananas when they are at my inlaws but when I actually buy a bunch for them, no one eats them.  I always end up with several over-ripen bananas which I either freeze to make ice cream (I'll blog about that another day) or I turn them into cakes.

  

Using my regular banana cake recipe here (a very popular recipe by Yochana), I decided to give it a twist and added some cocoa powder and replaced whipping cream/evaporated milk/fresh milk with buttermilk.

On a side note, I simply cannot understand why some bloggers post recipes copied from somewhere, change the method slightly or reduce the recipe by 1/2 and call it theirs.  No one in particular for I've seen too many such cases.  I think the least they should do is to give credit to the originator and indicate the modifications made. Gorgeous looking pictures, great write-up but I think it is unethical, so nothing else matters.  I don't know how many people I'm going to offend here but I just need to say my piece.

Enough of my rantings, presenting to you a moist and fluffy chocolate banana cake :-)

I'm a no big fan of banana cake but I love how this turned out, moist and fluffy, minus the artificial flavours from store bought.  Sis E doesn't eat banana cakes for they are ladled with strong banana essence which is totally artificial.  I hope to get a chance to bake this for her.

I'm submitting this to Aspiring Bakers # 5: Fruity March (March 2011) hosted by bakericious.

Banana Cake
Ingredients
180g butter
100g fine sugar
2  large eggs - beaten lightly
240g cake flour (I used plain flour, removed 1 tablespoon and replaced with corn flour)
10g cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
220g over-riped bananas - mashed
50g buttermilk (I used milk + 1/2 tsp lemon juice and let it stand for 15 mins)
chopped walnuts (optional)

Method

1. Cream butter and sugar till light and creamy.
2. Pour in eggs gradually and beat till creamy.
3. Add in buttermilk, mashed bananas and banana essence and mix well.
4. Add in cake flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda and beat for a while only.
5. Pour into cupcake casings/muffin cups, and arrange chopped walnuts on top.
6. Bake at 170C for 20 - 30 mins or until cooked.



Bunny Pineapple Tarts

I promised SM I'll bake her some pineapple tarts after CNY.  Decided to give this recipe a try again, praying that they won't puff up as much.  I remember reading somewhere that to prevent the cookie dough from spreading too much in the oven, the trick is to chill the dough first.  So when I did this batch, I chilled the dough (wrapped and shaped, ready to be baked) in the fridge and only took it out when the oven is ready.  They turned out well, slightly puffed but at least the imprint is still pretty obvious.  I'm contented :-)

For melt in the mouth recipes, the success factor is how you handle the dough. Be careful not to overwork the dough. I used a fork to mash the butter into the flour instead of using my fingers. And I mixed in all the wet ingredients together before pouring into the flour mixture so that I really minimise "kneading" the dough.

Decided to do away with egg wash since they always turned out patchy.  I guess I'm not using the correct pastry brush.

Can you see the flakey crust?  Oh, I just love this recipe!  But be warned, this recipe comes with a high percentage of butter over flour so watch out for those calories when you pop one into your mouth.

SM took one while she was in the car, took a quick bite when the traffic light turned red, and she loves it.  Her son NQ was so amazed as he has never seen pineapple tarts in this form.  He was showing off to his neighbours that his friend's (my son) mother made these.  I owe EO (my best pal's sister) some pineapple tarts so passed her a bottle and received positive feedback from her too :-)

I'm submitting this to Aspiring Bakers # 5: Fruity March (March 2011) hosted by jess of bakericious.

Bunny Pineapple Tarts

Ingredients

(A)

340g Plain Flour

1 tbsp Icing sugar

1/2 tsp salt (omit if using salted butter)

(B)

250g Cold butter, cut into cubes

(C)

1 Egg yolk

1/2 tsp vanilla essence/Martell

25ml ice cold water

*mix together

(D)

Pineapple fillings (I used store bought but improvised it)

Method

1. Lightly beat egg yolk with brandy and ice water.
2. Sieve flour and icing sugar into mixing bowl. Stir in salt and blend well.
3. Using a fork, cut in butter until it resembles fine bread crumbs.
4. Add egg yolk and ice water mixture into flour and roughly work it into a ball. Do not overwork the dough.
5. Divide dough into 3 equal portions, place each portion in a plastic bag and flatten it slightly. Chill in fridge for at least 30 mins.
6. Remove 1 portion of dough from fridge and divide dough into small balls.
7. Wrap pineapple paste with dough and shape into rounds.
8. Lightly flour the surface of the dough and press into a mould of your choice, flatten and dislodge the dough.
9. Chill the dough while you preheat the oven. (I actually kept mine in the fridge for a few hours)
10. Place tarts onto baking tray lined with baking sheet.
11. Bake in preheated oven at 180°C for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 170°C and continue to bake for another 5 minutes or until golden. Turn tarts out to cool on a wire rack before storing in air-tight containers.

Strawberry Chocolate Cake

There was a minor accident back home and I've not been in my best state of mind (you'll find out why at the end of this entry).  My initial plan was to make a cake with chocolate transfer for DD3's 3rd birthday but due to the accident, I was too preoccupied with my children and didn't bother to go hunting for the necessary ingredients.  I was more than prepared to get a store bought cake for her.

The wound seem to heal fast so I'm finally able to breathe a sign of relief.  It was only decided on Sunday to bake her a cake.  However, I haven't got much ingredients in my pantry and I have no plans to lug the whole troop to the nearest bakeware shop.  Remembering that Wendy has a Swiss Meringue Buttercream recipe, I turned on my computer, praying that she'll be online.  Bingo!  As usual, she is really patient to answer all my queries.

I baked a chocolate chiffon cake layered with Nutella buttercream (I'll blog about this in my next post), and did a ganache to cover the flaws.  Unfortunately, my ganache didn't turn out well.  First, I left it to cool for a bit too long, thus the ganache was slightly thick when I poured over the cake.  The ganache didn't cover the sides completely so I had to pour another layer over.  But  as I was attending to DD3, I left the ganache over simmering fire and that caused the ganache to be overheated. I read that you can salvage an overmelt/heat chocolate by adding a few drops of vegetable oil, little by little, stir till the chocolate is soft again.  Anyway, I didn't bother.

Wondering why I have so many strawberries on the cake?  It's because one strawberry dropped right in the middle of the cake and I had to cover up the blob :P

About the accident... I was cutting DD3's hair and she moved.  I cut her skin and it was so near her eye.  She cried for almost half an hour.  It's just so unlike her as her pain tolerance level is usually quite high.  Freak the hell out of me and I've been applying aloe vera gel on her constantly (easily 10 times that day).

On the 2nd day, her wound seemed more obvious and my heart hurts even more.

The wound dries up to form scab and it is common for the wound to itch.  This was the most tiring period  as I was so afraid she might scratch it off accidentally during the healing process and we'll have to start all over again.  She did scratch but I managed to stop her in time.  Half the scab was dangling on the wound and it took a day to peel off by itself.  Phew!

Some folks felt that I've over-reacted, some thought I've exaggerated.  And there are some who told me it's ok, take it as a lesson learnt since it's not too serious.  Many told me kids recover very fast. I know that too but still, I'm worried that it might leave a scar behind and I'll feel terribly guilty. 

I watched Life Reconstructed, a local TV program about why plastic surgery is important to some people, not for aesthetic reasons but for medical reasons.  The episode featuring burnt casualties made me feel better.  Yes, I've been reminded that life is not just about physical beauty and you don't need to be beautiful to be a great person.

Coincidentally, bakericious is hosting Aspiring Bakers # 5: Fruity March (March 2011) so I'm sending in my submission.

Chocolate Chiffon Cake

Ingredients

(A)
3 egg yolks
20g castor sugar
45ml corn oil
pinch of salt

(B)
60ml warm water
2 tsp cocoa powder
* mix together

(C)
75g cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
* sifted

(D)
3 egg whites
1/3 tsp cream of tartar
30g castor sugar

Method

1. In a bowl, using hand whisk, whisk yolks and sugar till sugar dissolves.
2. Add oil and salt, whisk and add cocoa mixture. Stir well.
3. Fold in sifted flour, baking powder and baking soda, mix well.
4. In another bowl, using an electric mixer, beat till the whites are frothy. Add in Cream of Tartar and beat till soft peaks.
5. Add in sugar gradually and beat till stiff peaks.
6. Fold in 1/3 of the whites into the yolk mixture using a rubber spatula till incorporated.
7. Pour the mixture to the remaining egg whites and fold in gently till incorporated.
8. Pour the batter into 7" round pan. Bang the pan on the table to get rid of bubbles.
9. Bake at pre-heated oven of 165 deg.C for 10 mins.
10. Turn down the temperature to 150 deg.C and bake for another 35 - 40 mins.
11. Remove from the oven and invert the pan. Remove the cake from pan when it's completely cooled.
12. Layer into 2 layers and set aside for further use.

Aspiring Bakers #3: CNY Cookies (2011) - Pineapple Rose Tarts

When it comes to pineapple tarts, one man's meat is another man's poison.  Some like a hard crust with a cakey pastry, whereas some like flakey pastry.  For me, I prefer flakey pastry, one that literally melts when you take a bite.  Some like the rich creamy taste (from formula milk or cream cheese) but I like mine with good old butter.

I'm happy with my current recipe but I've seen another similar recipe with more butter, less sugar and no rising agent.  This year, I decided to give this recipe (by Lekker, she made open tarts) a try, just to make a comparison.

This recipe has no rising agent so I presumed the pastry wouldn't puff up too much but I was wrong.  My rose tarts look so puffed and this made the crimp petals least obvious.  Argh!  I should have taken a picture of the tarts before baking, they sure do look like roses.

Another patchy egg wash maybe I should just omit next time.

Time was running out as I need to fetch my son from school but I've 2/3 pastry sitting in my fridge.  I have another cookie to bake and I have no wish to stop the oven.  My mind had to work fast to find a quick and easy way to finish up baking. 

I rolled the dough into oblong and rolled in the pineapple jam.  By doing this, I don't have to worry about sealing up the ends.  Despite this, I couldn't make it in time to fetch my son.  Thankfully I have a parent's contact number and had to seek her help to bring DS2 across the road.  Thanks SM!  Will bake you some pineapple tarts after CNY, I'm sure they are as good as the Malay store you've recommended ;-)

Verdict: This recipe is another keeper.  Gives you really flakey tarts BUT the dough is difficult to handle.  You need to work with quick hands as the dough gets soften fast due to our warm hands.  Nevertheless, it is a recipe worth trying if you like flakey tarts like me.

I am submitting this to Aspiring Bakers # 3: My Favorite CNY Cookie (Jan 2011) hosted by j3ss kitch3n.

Pineapple Rose Tarts

Ingredients
(A)
340g Plain Flour
1 tbsp Icing sugar
1/2 tsp salt (omit if using salted butter)

(B)
250g Cold butter, cut into cubes

(C)
1 Egg yolk
1/2 tsp vanilla essence (I used Martell instead)
*lightly beaten

(D)
25ml ice cold water

(E)
Egg glaze: Lightly beat1 yolk with 1 tbsp water

(F)
Pineapple fillings (I used store bought but improvised it)

Method

1. Lightly beat egg yolk with brandy. 
2. Sieve flour and icing sugar into mixing bowl. Stir in salt and blend well. 
3. Cut in butter until it resembles fine bread crumbs. 
4. Add egg yolk and ice water into flour and roughly work it into a ball. Do not overwork the dough. 
5. Divide dough into 3 equal portions, place each portion in a plastic bag and flatten it slightly.  Chill in fridge for 1 hour.
6. Remove 1 portion of dough from fridge and divide dough to portions of 15g - 20g each. 
7. Wrap pineapple paste (15g each) with dough and shape into rounds.
8. Chill the wrapped dough for 15 mins.
9. Using a crimper, crimp the top to make a triangle.  Then crimp the next layer to make a hexagon.
10. Place tarts onto baking tray lined with baking sheet.
11. Glaze the tarts with egg wash.
12. Bake in preheated oven at 180°C for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 170°C and continue to bake for another 5 minutes or until golden. Turn tarts out to cool on a wire rack before storing in air-tight containers.

Aspiring Bakers #3: CNY Cookies (2011) - Matcha Oatmeal Cookies

It is very frustrating to get phone calls when I'm in the midst of something, especially when I'm busy in the kitchen.  It is even more infuriating when the calls are unimportant calls.  I do get irritated when I received calls from banks/survey companies blah blah blah... but I can easily shut them off, end the call and go back to what I was doing earlier.  If the call is from a close friend or my maiden family, I will explain that I'm busy and will return call later (eh... that's a few days later).  But if it's a call from friends (or rather, acquittances) or relatives, I tend to be a little more polite.  Hypocrite?  Maybe.

Anyway, I've been getting the same questions from some people over the past 2 years, asking me why DD1's teacher allows her to do certain things but not her child.  Hey, these 2 kids have never been in the same class and their form teachers are different.  We are moving into the 3rd year and I'm still getting similar questions.  Given the same request from 2 students in different classes, do we expect to get the same reply?  When the response from the teachers differ, I get questioned, "Why huh?"  I'm not the teacher, don't ask me, go ask the teacher.

Alright, enough of my rants.  I just need to get it off my chest.

This is not a traditional Chinese New Year (CNY) cookie.  When I say traditional CNY cookies, I'm actually referring to peanut cookies, kuih bangkit, almond cookies, love letters and the ever famous pineapple tarts.  It is common to find these cookies all over the shops in Singapore during this festive season. Over the years, with some influence from the West, we have included western cookies into our CNY.  Yes, similar to the checkerboard cookies I've baked earlier, I'm sharing another western cookie for CNY - Matcha Oatmeal Cookies.

I've baked this using Oatmeal Currant Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe but modified it to include matcha.  Despite not being a great fan of matcha (green tea), my kids love these cookies.  I think this is a great combination, oatmeal and matcha, a healthier choice ;-)

With my previous attempt with cocoa powder, I thought the cookies were still too sweet so I omit caster sugar altogether.

I'm happy how these cookies turned out ^-^

I am submitting this to Aspiring Bakers # 3: My Favorite CNY Cookie (Jan 2011) hosted by j3ss kitch3n.

Matcha Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
110g unsalted butter
100g light brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract (I omit)
90g all purpose flour
1 tsp matcha/green tea powder
1/2 tsp salt (omit salt if you are using salted butter)
130g rolled oats
100g chocolate chips

Method

1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees C.
2. Cream together the softened butter and brown sugar until smooth and creamy.
3. Add the egg and beat well (if you are making full recipe, add egg one at a time).
4. Add in vanilla extract.
5. In a separate bowl, mix flour, matcha/green tea powder and salt.
6. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and beat until incorporated.
7. Stir in the rolled oats and chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon.
8. Using a cookie scoop, drop cookie dough onto the prepared baking tray.
9. Flatten the cookies slightly and bake the cookies for about 15 - 20 minutes. The cookies are done when golden brown around the edges but still a little soft in the centers. (The longer the cookies bake the more crispy they will be.) Remove from oven and let the cookies cool a few minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling. These cookies will keep several days at room temperature.

Aspiring Bakers #3: CNY Cookies (2011) - Checkerboard Cookies (JOB)

There were no intentions to make any checkerboard cookies until Aunty A called me last Sunday.  I was brainstorming with her over the phone on how to get the checker effect but she doesn't quite understand me. Actually I wasn't quite sure of myself and since I wasn't planning to cook dinner, I decided to drop by her place to see if we can get it right.  After spending a good half an hour in her house, I left without seeing the final outcome as the dough was resting in the freezer, waiting to be sliced, and I had to go pack dinner.  Aunty A sent me an sms to let me know that it turned out pretty alright.  Now my hands are itching to try making some :P

I googled online and found this recipe by Joy of Baking.  There were no step-by-step pictures to show how this was done so I googled more and found this.  Paul attempted the same recipe and did it so beautifully.  Yes, I've got the steps almost correct at Aunty A's house except that I sliced the stack breadth-wise instead.  Silly me!

Though it looks difficult, it is actually not, just slightly time consuming as you need to chill the dough several times.  I like how these turn out and although I'm not a cookie person, I enjoy munching on them.  My kids love these too and kept asking for more :-)

I am submitting this to Aspiring Bakers # 3: My Favorite CNY Cookie (Jan 2011) hosted by j3ss kitch3n.

Checkerboard Cookies

Adapted from Joy of Baking

Source: Baggett, Nancy. The International Chocolate Cookbook. Stewart, Tabori & Chang. New York: 1991.

For step-by-step pictures, please refer to Paul's blog here.

Ingredients
1/3 cup (45 grams) hazelnuts (I replaced with almonds)
2 tablespoons (15 grams) unsweetened Cocoa Powder
2 1/2 cups (325 grams) all purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated white sugar (I used 100g)
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (I omit)
1 1/2 teaspoons orange zest (I used lemon zest instead)

Method

1. Place the almonds and cocoa powder in a food processor and process until the almonds are finely ground. (I didn't bother to toast them)
2. In a small bowl whisk together the flour and salt.
3. In bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 2 to 3 minutes). Add the egg, vanilla extract and lemon zest and beat until well blended. Add the flour mixture and beat just until incorporated.
4. Divide the dough into 2 portions (mine was 350g and  400g) and add the cocoa/almond mixture to the larger dough. Set aside.
5. Lay out two large sheets of parchment paper (about 10 x 12 inch) (25 x 30 cm) and on one sheet of parchment roll out the white dough into a 6 1/2 inch by 10 1/2 inch (22 x 26 cm) rectangle, making sure both sides of the dough are smooth. Wrap dough and place on a baking sheet in the freezer for about 15 minutes or until dough is firm.
6. Meanwhile, take the chocolate dough and remove 1/2 cup (used later for wrapping the checkerboard log) and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside. On the second sheet of parchment roll out the remaining chocolate dough into a 6 1/2 inch by 10 1/2 inch (22 x 26 cm) rectangle, making sure both sides of the dough are smooth. Wrap dough and place on a baking sheet in the freezer for about 15 minutes or until dough is firm.
7. When both the white and chocolate dough are firm, remove from freezer and lay the white dough on a cutting board, removing the parchment paper. Lightly brush the top of the white dough with a little water (this helps the layers to stick together). Remove the parchment paper from the chocolate dough and place it evenly on top of the white dough. Trim the edges of the two doughs so the rectangle now measures 6 inches by 10 inches (21 x 25 cm). (Take the chocolate dough trimmings and add to the 1/2 cup of reserved chocolate dough.) Lengthwise cut the rectangle into thirds (3 - 2 inch by 10 inch stripes) (5 x 25 cm). Place one strip on a piece of plastic wrap. Brush the top of the dough with water and place the second strip on top of the first (alternate colors so you have white, black, white, black pattern). Brush the top of the second layer with water and stack the third layer. Press down lightly on the top of the dough and then wrap and freeze for 15 minutes, or until firm.
8. When firm, remove from freezer and unwrap, placing the dough on a cutting board. Using a sharp long knife, cut the layers lengthwise into 1/2 inch (1 cm) wide and 10 inch (25 cm) long strips. (You will end up with 4 strips). Stack the layers, turning every other strip so top faces down and bottom faces up, to produce the checkerboard effect. Rewrap stack and place in freezer again to firm up.
9. Meanwhile, take the reserved chocolate trimmings and 1/2 cup of chocolate dough and roll out on a piece of parchment paper into approximately 9 1/2 x 10 1/2 inch (24 x 26.25 cm) rectangle, making sure the dough is smooth. Cover and refrigerate until slightly firm.
10. Remove stack of checkerboard dough from freezer and place in center of chocolate dough. Wrap the chocolate dough around the checkerboard layers until you have a smooth surface that encloses the checkerboard design. Wrap in plastic and freeze until firm. Can freeze dough for up to a month.
11. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove dough from freezer and place on a cutting board. With a sharp knife cut the block of dough into 1/4 inch thick slices. Place on prepared baking sheet spacing about 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart. Bake for about 5-8 minutes or until cookies just start to brown around the edges. Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool.
12. Baked cookies can be stored in an airtight container up to one week.