Black and White Cookies

I must say, I have tried black and white cookies throughout my life, but never had an affinity towards them. It always seemed as if there was something missing that I could not put my finger on...something that made them special which eluded me. And I must say after many recipe comparisons and test batters, I finally found that something special that many bakeries are apparently missing today.

Now, I am just getting ahead of myself. I should be starting at the very beginning. Most black and white cookies upon initial inspection look bold, sleek, interesting, and you expect the first bite to match their visual appearance. Unfortunately, upon biting into the cookie I often find myself shrugging my shoulders and browsing through the glass encasement for something else. Something... well let's just say better or at the very least interesting to the taste buds.

After much internal debate, I decided there had to be something about these infamous cookies that originally made them so popular (and it could not simply be their appearance). I was determined to figure it out. I wanted these cookies to taste even better and bolder than they looked. And the ironic part is, I discovered the most memorable part of these cookies was simply their texture. Most bakeries are missing this by adding too much flour and are left with a dry cookie as a result.I could not understand why everyone was missing this? The cookie should almost melt in your mouth as you bite in, making you question whether you're truly eating a cookie or if you were handed leftover batter from one of the bakeries' finest cakes. This is what I had always been missing in my experience with the black and white cookie!

Upon putting my final recipe to the test (and a little help from the New York Times), the smell from the oven was the first evidence that I was not going to simply like, but I was absolutely going to love these cookies. Finally! Do you remember the smell as a child that engulfed you when walking into a small family owned bakery? The aromatic smell of vanilla, cake flour and butter? The smell that seemed to take hold of you and pull you closer and closer to the glass case, and before you even realized it your face was virtually pressed up against the glass. Then your eyes darted. They were searching shelf after shelf attempting to match that heavenly scent to the exact baked good from which it escaped. Eventually, you looked up at your mother trying to determine what direction her gaze was cast in. I mean she had experience. She had to know. Right? Well these black and white cookies bring that childhood search definitively to a close. That mesmerizing smell from childhood is perfectly captured by these cookies. I can now say the black and white cookie has officially held it's place in my book as a truly iconic cookie, and will forever be a staple amongst my baked goods. I sadly regret it took me a little over twenty-nine years to discover the true secret to making these cookies. The smell and appearance are now in my mind easily rivaled, if not completely topped, by the indescribable cake-like texture that make these cookies quite simply amazing.

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BLACK-AND-WHITE COOKIES

Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), at room temperature
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon extract

**(I personally HATE lemon in cookies. I cannot stress hate enough...Yes, I said it. I will fully admit that there are exceptions to this rule such as lemon bars or baked goods which are supposed to taste like lemon, but I simply find it overpowering if the dessert is not a "lemon" dessert. For those of you who like lemon, keep the recipe as is and for those of you who agree that the flavor can be overbearing change this to 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract. After tasting it this way, I may even be able to sway you lemon-lovers!)**

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups cake flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup boiling water
• 1 teaspoon light corn syrup.
• 1 ounce bittersweet chocolate

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 2 baking sheets with nonstick spray, or line with parchment paper. I find by using parchment paper your batter will not spread as quickly.

2. In large mixing bowl, combine sugar and butter. Mix by machine or hand until fluffy. Add eggs, milk and vanilla and lemon extracts, and mix until smooth.

3. In medium bowl, combine cake flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt. Stir until mixed. Add dry mixture to the wet in batches, stirring well after each addition. Using a soup spoon, place heaping spoonfuls of the dough 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Bake until edges begin to brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Cool completely.

4. Place confectioners' sugar in large mixing bowl. Gradually stir in enough boiling water to the sugar to make a thick, spreadable mixture. Be careful adding because once it is too thin there is no going back. It is easier to thin than to have a runny result.

5. Put half the frosting in the top half of a double-boiler. Add the chocolate and corn syrup, and set over simmering water. Warm the mixture, stirring, until chocolate is melted and frosting is smooth. Turn off the heat, but leave chocolate frosting over hot water to keep it spreadable. If the mixture gets to thick you can also add a little more water and stir to make it more spreadable. With a brush, coat half of the top of each cookie with chocolate frosting, and the other half with white frosting. Let dry, and store in an airtight container.

Yield: 2 dozen large cookies.

These should bake up almost like an upside down cupcake top. These are almost identical to the German dessert called Amerikaners and this is what you want! You want that moist cake-like experience, instead of a thin, flat, dry cookie with hardened frosting which you tend to get at a lot of bakeries. 

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