Tastes of Scandinavian Heritage: Recipes & Research

Bestemors Sjakkruter

Bestemors Sjakkruter (Grandma’s Chess Squares)

Ingredients:

1.6 cups butter

1 cup sugar

6 teaspoons vanilla-flavored sugar

2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour


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food coloring of your choosing (usually red and green)

2-4 teaspoons cocoa (optional)


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Mix all the ingredients together and knead until the dough is firm. Then, split the dough into as many parts as you want for the different colors. Make a hole in the middle of the dough, put food coloring in, and knead until the entire section is colored. If you are coloring one section brown, dye with cocoa instead of food coloring. Braid or roll into sausage-shaped sections (anything you want). Put on a cutting board or a flat surface and keep cold for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Afterwards, cut up into 1/3 inch slices. Put in oven for 10-12 minutes at 338 degrees.