Cookie of the Day: Black & White Cookies
They taste good, they look good, and they’re made by good people — talented bakers from around the world. Today, Bridget Moynahan shares her take on New York’s favorite half-and-half cookie from her book Blue Bloods Cookbook.
Black & White Cookies
Makes 4 to 6 cookies
If the Reagan family were a real-life New York clan, every one of them would have happy memories of black-&-white cookies bought fresh at a local bakery. Also known as “half and-halfs,” these light-as-air treats are as much a part of New York City as the Empire State Building. A single cookie answers cravings for two sweets, with one half of the top coated in vanilla icing, and the other half in chocolate.
Cookies
11⁄4 cups cake flour
1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1⁄4 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
6 tablespoons (3⁄4 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1⁄2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
Icing
1 3⁄4 cups confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1⁄2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more as needed to darken color
Make the cookies: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a large baking sheet.
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, combine the buttermilk and vanilla and stir to mix.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large mixing bowl if using a hand mixer, combine the butter and granulated sugar and beat on low until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the egg and beat until incorporated.
Add a quarter of the flour mixture and beat until incorporated. Add a third of the buttermilk mixture and beat until incorporated. Alternate adding the two until you’ve incorporated all the ingredients. The batter should be smooth and sticky.
Scoop ½ cup of batter onto the baking sheet. Form into a 3½-inch circle and, using a buttered knife, smooth the top flat. Repeat with the remaining batter, leaving at least 2 inches between cookies.
Bake the cookies for about 15 minutes, or until the tops are just golden brown and the center is springy. Let cool on the baking sheet for 1 to 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the icing: Combine the confectioners’ sugar, 1 tablespoon of the corn
syrup, the lemon juice, and vanilla in a small bowl. Whisk thoroughly until there are no lumps and the icing is a uniform white color.
When the cookies have cooled to room temperature, set the cookies on a long sheet of wax paper. Fold and crease a separate square of wax paper to serve as a straight edge. Hold the creased edge of the paper across the center of a cookie and brush or spread the while icing with a knife across the exposed half of the cookie. Repeat with the rest of the cookies. Allow them to dry until the icing is tacky. Apply a second layer of white icing as needed (the icing may absorb into the cookie).
Add the cocoa and remaining 1 tablespoon corn syrup to the remaining icing and stir until completely incorporated. The icing should be almost black. Ice the other half of the cookies, using the same method as with the white icing. Let the
icing harden for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Reprinted with permission from Blue Bloods Cookbook: 120 Recipes That Will Bring Your Family Together by Bridget Moynahan and Wendy Howard Goldberg (St. Martin’s Press).
More cookies to bake this holiday season:
Turn Basic Sugar Cookies Into Eye-Catching Christmas Pinwheels
Christmas Cookies: Everything You Need to Know About Thumbprints
Salted Brown Sugar Toffee Cookies
