These Leopard Print Cookies in Almond and Chocolate Flavor are made with 100% Whole wheat flour, ground almonds and Cocoa powder. Making the leopard print pattern takes a little time but is a pure treat to eyes seeing the end result. Here is a step by step guide to making the leopard print pattern.
First of all cream butter and sugar with the help of a whisk, till the butter is pale and fluffy
Add the flour and salt and mix well
Now knead the dough a little by hands, if you feel the need add little milk to combine the dough. The dough should be soft and well combined and should not be very crumbly. If it is very crumbly and falling apart, that means the dough needs moisture
Now divide the dough in three parts. One is the larger and the other two are some smaller portions. The other two being the similar in size
Take the larger sized dough, add ground almonds to it and mix well and keep aside
Take one of the smaller sized dough balls, mix 1 tsp cocoa to this very well and keep aside
Now take the last smaller sized dough ball and mix 2 tbsp cocoa powder to it. Keep all of them covered in the fridge for sometime
Now take the dark-colored cocoa dough out and divide it in 6 similar sized balls
Take them one by one and flatten in a rectangle about 3*9 size. Do it with your hands on a butter paper
Now take out the light-colored cocoa dough from fridge and divide it in 6 similar sized balls. Take them one by one and make a log of similar length as the dark cocoa rectangles
When all of them are made, carefully lift the light-colored logs one by one and keep on dark-colored cocoa dough rectangles, roll the dark-colored cocoa sheet over the light-colored log. Roll nicely & after all of them are made chill them in fridge
Take out the almond dough from fridge and divide that also in 6 equal portions, take them one by one and roll in rectangle shape, the size should be enough to incorporate the cocoa rolls that you have kept in fridge. Doing it on a butter paper helps
Once all are rolled, take out the cocoa rolls from fridge and carefully keep them over the almond dough rectangles one by one
Roll them and seal the ends, then stack them one over the other so as to form a round shape, brushing little water will help them in sticking to each other
Make the final roll smoother by rolling over butter paper, cover and keep in fridge for half an hour. After an hour take out and cut cookies of about 1/4 inch thickness and place on a baking tray
Bake in a preheated oven at 170 degrees for 12-15 minutes till the sides are golden. Cool completely and store in an airtight jar.
Notes
Chilling the dough in between and after the final roll has been made is very important as a chilled dough is easier to work with. Using butter paper for rolling is a great help in getting smooth finished rolls.