Black and White Cookies

Fresh, honest-to-goodness delicious New York Italian cookies and pastries are hard to come by if you're anywhere other than New York. When we used to take family vacations to New York to visit my relatives, we would always get bombarded with trays and trays of them. And I'd never complain. Pignoli, canoli, biscotti, pizzelle, rainbow cookies. The list goes on and on. Luckily my aunt usually sends some to us over the holidays and we still get a few boxes whenever we visit, but it just isn't the same. Someone needs to make an authentic New York Italian bakery in DC. And a pizza parlor. My family alone would probably buy you out.

More recently, Chris' father told me that New York also makes the best Black and White cookies. Last time I took a trip up there, I made sure that I got him a few and one for myself as well. The soft cookie was to die for and you even get a choice of frosting. Helloooo. Options! I love options! I made these recently and just had to share. The cookie is moist and cake-like and the homemade frostings are delicious. Hope you enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

Cookies:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup well-shaken buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large egg

Vanilla Glaze:

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 Teaspoon light corn syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate Glaze:

• 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
• 3 Tablespoons butter
• 1 Tablespoon light corn syrup

To make the cookies:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Stir together buttermilk and vanilla in a cup.

Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Then add the eggs, beating until well combined. Mix in flour mixture and buttermilk mixture alternately in batches at low speed (scraping down side of bowl occasionally), beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix until smooth.

Spoon 1/4 cups of batter about 2 inches apart onto a buttered large baking sheet. Bake in middle of oven until tops are puffed and pale golden, and cookies spring back when touched, 15 to 17 minutes. Transfer with a metal spatula to a rack and chill (to cool quickly), about 5 minutes.

To make the glazes:

In a bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon of corn syrup and 2 tablespoons hot water, until smooth. That’s your vanilla glaze.

In a separate bowl, melt the butter and the chocolate in a microwave for about 1 minute. Add the corn syrup and stir until smooth. That’s your chocolate glaze.

Once the cookies are cooled, face them all bottom side up of a clean surface. Spread half of the cookie with vanilla glaze and the other half with chocolate glaze. Refrigerate for 20 minutes to set.

Source: Joy the Baker