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Milo Shortbread Checkerboard Cookies

Evoke a nostalgic feeling with the beloved flavor of MILO in these beautifully checkered shortbread cookies. Prepare in advance as cookie gifts for your loved ones - freeze the dough now and bake it later to streamline your holiday preparations.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Chill Time 12 hours
Total Time 12 hours 45 minutes
Servings: 28 cookies
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American, Asian, Filipino
Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
  

Light Dough (Malted Milk Flavor)
  • 1½ cup all-purpose flour 225g
  • 2 tbsp malted milk powder sifted, 17g
  • ¼ tsp fine sea salt or ⅛ tsp table salt
  • ½ cup unsalted butter softened to room temp, 113g
  • ¼ cup sugar 46g
  • 1 egg room temp
Dark Dough (MILO Flavor)
  • 1½ cup all-purpose flour 225g
  • 4 tbsp MILO sifted, 34g
  • 1 tbsp Dutch-processed cocoa powder 6.5g
  • ¼ tsp fine sea salt or ⅛ tsp table salt
  • ½ cup unsalted butter softened to room temp, 113g
  • 2 tbsp sugar 23g
  • 1 egg room temp

Equipment

  • Kitchenaid Mixer
  • silicon spatula
  • Our Place Cutting Board
  • parchment paper
  • kitchen scale

Method
 

Mix the Dry Ingredients
  1. For the light dough, whisk together the flour, malted milk powder, and fine sea salt. Set aside.
  2. For the dark dough, whisk together the flour, MILO, cocoa powder, and fine sea salt. Set aside.
Prepare the Two Cookie Doughs
  1. In a mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar together until fluffy.
  2. Add egg and mix until just incorporated.
  3. Slowly add the dry mix for the light dough. Scrape down the sides as needed. Mix until everything is incorporated and a dough ball forms.
  4. Set the light dough aside on a tray or plate lined with parchment paper. Wipe down the mixer and repeat the last 3 steps to make the dark dough.
Shaping the Dough
  1. Shape the two cookie doughs into identically sized logs of 1.5" height x 1.5" width. Use a ruler, or mold them into this shape. We used a parchment paper box as our mold by lining it with parchment, then pressing and smoothing them into the box.
  2. Cover and refrigerate the two cookie doughs overnight, or a minimum of 2 hours until the dough is firm.
Create the Checkerboard Pattern
  1. Use a ruler to measure and cut each log in half.
  2. Cut each log lengthwise into 3 vertical sections. Make "sandwiches" by trading the middle sections between the light and dark logs.
  3. Turn the logs over so the sections are now stacked horizontally. Slice again as before.
  4. Trade the middle sections again, resulting in a 3x3 checkerboard pattern.
  5. Cover and chill the checkerboard logs in the fridge for at least 30 minutes until firm.
Slice and Bake the Cookies
  1. Preheat the oven to 350℉ / 176℃.
  2. Slice the checkerboard logs into ½" thick cookies. Place cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
  3. Bake for 12-16 minutes until the edges begin to brown and the top of the cookie is set.