There's No Ease in Cookies

At least, not these cookies. But they are very good (quite sweet, too) ...the few that I managed to get to come out looking at least a little like the illustration in the magazine.

The recipe is from Cooking Light; modified by me to address some of the problems I had with it. The original recipe can be found here.

Black and White Striped Cookies

Vanilla dough:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (about 5 1/2 ounces)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 large egg yolk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons ice water

Chocolate dough:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour (about 3 1/3 ounces)
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 large egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons ice water

Vanilla Dough:
Lightly spoon 1 1/4 cups flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife.
Combine 1 1/4 cups flour and 1/8 teaspoon salt, stirring well with a whisk.
Place 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup butter, and 1 egg yolk in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth.
Beat in 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla.
Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating at low speed just until combined.
Sprinkle 2 tablespoons ice water over surface of dough; beat just until moist.(Dough will be slightly crumbly.)
Press dough into a 4-inch circle or 3x2 rectangle on plastic wrap; cover and chill 1 hour or until firm.

Chocolate Dough:
Lightly spoon 3/4 cup flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife.
Combine 3/4 cup flour, cocoa, and 1/8 teaspoon salt, stirring well with a whisk.
Place 1 cup sugar, 1/4 cup butter, and 1 egg yolk in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth.
Beat in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.
Gradually add cocoa mixture to butter mixture, beating at low speed just until combined.
Sprinkle 2 tablespoons ice water over surface of dough; beat just until moist.
Press dough into a 4-inch circle or 3x2 rectangle on plastic wrap; cover and chill 1 hour or until firm.

Slightly overlap 2 sheets of plastic wrap on a slightly damp surface.
Unwrap and place chilled vanilla dough on plastic wrap.
Cover dough with 2 additional sheets of overlapping plastic wrap.
Roll dough, still covered, into a 12 x 8-inch (or so) rectangle. Dough should be about a quarter inch thick.
Place dough in freezer 5 minutes or until plastic wrap can easily be removed.

Slightly overlap 2 sheets of plastic wrap on a slightly damp surface.
Unwrap and place chilled chocolate dough on plastic wrap.
Cover dough with 2 additional sheets of overlapping plastic wrap.
Roll dough, still covered, into a 12 x 8-inch (or so) rectangle. Dough should be about a quarter inch thick.
Place dough in freezer 5 minutes or until plastic wrap can easily be removed.

*Lightly* flour a cutting board.
Take both doughs from freezer.
If necessary, trim the doughs so that they are the same size.
Remove top sheets of plastic wrap.
Place vanilla dough on top of chocolate dough, plastic wrap side up.
Remove plastic wrap from vanilla dough; turn dough assembly over onto lightly floured surface.
Remove plastic wrap from chocolate dough.
Cut dough stack in half crosswise to form 2 equal rectangles.
Stack one rectangle on top of the other, alternating vanilla and chocolate doughs; wrap in plastic wrap.
Freeze 10 minutes or until firm and plastic wrap can easily be removed.

Cut the dough crosswise into 6 equal strips.
Stack 2 strips on top of each other to form a stack, alternating vanilla and chocolate to form a striped pattern.
Wrap in plastic wrap, pressing gently.
Repeat procedure with remaining 4 strips to form 2 stacks (there will be 3 stacks total).
Chill 30 minutes or until very firm.

Heat oven to 375°.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Working with 1 stack at a time, unwrap dough.
Carefully slice each stack into 12 equal pieces.
Place dough slices 2 inches apart on baking sheet.
Bake at 375° for 12 minutes.
Cool on pans 15 minutes; possibly more.
Remove cookies from pans. Note that dough will be *very* soft.
Cool completely on wire racks.