Black and White Cookies

The other half and I went on trip to New York and Boston last fall and I swore I was going to try all the desserts, but I'll be damned if I forgot one until it was too late. We had cannolis and torrone in little Italy. One of my favorites was Momofuku Milk Bar, we stuffed our faces with crack pie and cereal milk milkshake, it was glorious! On the last night of our trip, we were walking around downtown in Boston, after traveling all day from New York when it hit me, I forgot to try a black and white cookie! So we visited a handful of bakeries in Boston with no luck. I knew then that I had missed my chance so my only option would be to recreate them.

I looked for recipes here and there and bookmarked a few to try out but just never got around to it. Luckily I have this wonderful, sweet, beautiful friend, Ashley. She was sweet enough to sent me a lovely little cookbook, Sweet Chic by Rachel Schifter Thebault of Tribeca Treats. Thanks Ash! :)

This cute little cookbook had a foreword written by Isaac Mizrahi and all of the sweets were compared to fashion. As I was flipping through I came across buttermilk cookies, the pearl earrings, and lo and behold there was a recipe for black and white cookies! I knew when I saw it I had to make them! Now I don't know how true to NYC these little cookies are compared to their larger big city equivalent, but they were pretty darn good, and super cute as well.

Black and White Cookies

Ingredients:
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
12 tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup buttermilk

For the Glazes
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Directions:
1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper or spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray.

2.  Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt into a mixing bowl and set aside.

3.  Beat the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment at high speed until it is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

4.  Add the sugar and continue to mix on medium-high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula halfway through mixing to ensure that the butter and sugar are well mixed.

5.  Add the eggs and mix until combined. Again, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure that the ingredients are incorporated.

6.  Add approximately half the flour mixture and mix on low speed just until the mixture is incorporated, about 30 seconds. Add the vanilla and buttermilk and mix until combined, about 15 seconds.

7.  Add the remaining flour and mix until combined, about 15 seconds. Remove the bowl from the mixer and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula to make sure that the flour is fully incorporated. Compared with other, drier cookie doughs, this dough has a more pasty consistency.

8.  Using a small ice cream scoop or a tablespoon measure, scoop the cookie dough about 1 inch about apart onto the prepared pans. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, rotating the pans once halfway through, until the edges of the cookies are golden brown. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the pans to room temperature.

9.  While the cookies are cooling, prepare the white glaze. Sift 1 cup powdered sugar into a small bowl. Add 2 tablespoons buttermilk and mix thoroughly with a fork.

10.  Once the cookies are at room temperature, flip them over and, using a small offset spatula, spread the white glaze over one half of the bottom of each cookie.

11.  While the white glaze sets, sift 1/2 cup powdered sugar and 1/2 cup cocoa powder into another bowl and add 2 tablespoons buttermilk.  Mix thoroughly with a fork. Using a small offset spatula, spread the chocolate glaze onto the other half of each cookie. Allow the cookies to set for 20 minutes.

12.  Serve the set cookies immediately, or keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.