Black and White Cookies

I’m pretty bad when it comes to picking favorites. If you asked me to name my favorite food or favorite book, I would probably bombard you with an endless list of options that could all be considered my top choice. But there is one category in which I could easily pick a favorite, and that’s TV sitcoms. As far as I’m concerned, Seinfeld is by far the greatest sitcom ever made; it’s original, clever, and downright hilarious. Fellow Seinfeld fans may remember the episode in which Jerry and Elaine go to a bakery together and Jerry waxes philosophical about black and white cookies (“look to the cookie”) before eating one makes him sick. If you don’t remember this episode or haven’t seen it, you can catch the highlights here.

According to this New York Times article, Seinfeld solidified the black and white cookie’s status as one of New York’s trademark foods. I actually never encountered a black and white cookie in the times I visited The Big Apple (which is surprising, because I hit the city’s bakeries and I hit them hard) so my first encounter with this iconic pastry was a small, delicate version at a local bakery called Les Madelines that bore little resemblance to the black and white cookie of Seinfeld fame. I’m guessing it’s what black and white cookies would look like in France.

The first time I tasted a real black and white cookie ended up being when I baked them from a recipe found in my Gourmet cookbook last weekend. I could tell from the outset that the black and white would be my type of cookie: a soft, cakey base topped with a simple glaze that imparts a striking visual appeal without being too showy or cute. And while I’m usually a chocolate whore, I found myself enjoying the vanilla side equally (although the two flavors are really best when eaten in the same bite). These cookies may not hold the secret to racial harmony as Jerry claims, but they sure do wonders for a girl’s sweet tooth.

Black and White Cookies (adapted from The Gourmet Cookbook)


When I first made these, I followed the orginal recipe's specifications for cookie size and made them huge. The second time around I went for a medium version (pictured above), which I am more partial to simply because the large ones are a little much unless you're really committed to eating a cookie. But feel free to go with your own preference because I've included directions for both.

The other change I made in this recipe involve the icing, as I'm not too fond of lemon in my baked goods and I thought the process could be a little less hassle-free. I recommend making one of the icings first and frosting the cookies with it before making the other one so that neither one of the icings has a chance to solidify in the bowl.

cookies:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup well-shaken buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup (5 1/3 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg

Vanilla icing:
3/4 cup confectioners sugar
1/2 tablespoon light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 to 2 tablespoons hot water

Chocolate icing:
3/4 cup confectioners sugar
1/2 tablespoon light corn syrup
1/8 teaspoon vanilla
1 to 2 tablespoons hot water
1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

1) Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Stir together buttermilk and vanilla in a cup.
2) Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes, then add egg, beating until combined well.
3) 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.
4) For large cookies: Spoon 1/4 cups of batter about 2 inches apart onto a buttered large baking sheet. Bake in middle of oven at 350 until tops are puffed and pale golden, and cookies spring back when touched, 15 to 17 minutes.
For medium cookies: Spoon about 2 tablespoons of batter 2 inches apart onto a buttered large baking sheet. Bake for about ten minutes, or until cookies spring back when touched.
5) Transfer with a metal spatula to a rack and chill (to cool quickly), about 5 minutes (or you could just let them cool at room temp before you frost them if you have the time).
6) When cool, turn cookies flat sides up, then spread white icing over half of each and chocolate over other half (recipe follows).
7) Once cookies are iced, let them sit at room temperature for an hour or so, or until the glaze has set. Store in an airtight container in between sheets of waxed paper.

Vanilla icing:
3/4 cup confectioners sugar
1/2 tablespoon light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 to 2 tablespoons hot water

Chocolate icing:
3/4 cup confectioners sugar
1/2 tablespoon light corn syrup
1/8 teaspoon vanilla
1 to 2 tablespoons hot water
1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

For vanilla icing: Stir together confectioners sugar, corn syrup, and 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl until smooth (you want it to be the consistency of thick Elmer's glue, so add more or less water accordingly).

For chocolate: Same process as vanilla, only add cocoa in as well and use more hot water to thin to the same consistency as the vanilla icing.