Black and white cookies

Black and white cookies came late into my life, but boy, I’m SO glad they did.

Soft, chewy, with a perfect layer of black and white icing they can become a favorite fast.

I tried these cookies in new york many years ago and understood why they have such staunch followers. They are simple yet manage to have a depth of flavor, a clear case of regular ingredients bearing great results.

Making them is so easy. A vanilla soft cookie is baked and then iced, half with a white mixture of powdered sugar and liquid, and the other half with a similar chocolate icing.

Yet, they manage to have a vintage flavor, sort of what I had growing up when there were not many fancy ingredients like there are now. Great for school lunch boxes. Or as a snack during the day, you know, the hand in the cookie jar when you casually go into the kitchen.

The dough has a softer texture thanks in part to cornstarch. It makes a big difference adding a melt-in-your-mouth quality that is unbeatable. I’m very used to making cornstarch cookies filled with dulce de leche (alfajores), one of our most popular baked goods here (Buenos Aires). If not the most popular one of all times. Together with a type of croissant that is sweeter and softer.

But back to our black and white cookies, I tried a few recipes and this one was my favorite. It hails from A Cozy Coloring Cookbook via Molly Yeh, so it was a guaranteed success. They made them with matcha in the glaze, so gorgeous. I simply omitted it.

The result is the softest vanilla cookie with a mix of glazes that work well on their own or together. A bite here, a bite there, hard to decide. But homemade cookies are very hard to beat, and these ones particularly, are very hard to keep for a few days. Though you might if you have the will, in tins or cookie jars.

Black and white cookies

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• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 40 medium cookies

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Description

for the cookies:

• 2 1/4 cups (310g) all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup (30g) cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, at room tº
• 2 large eggs, at room tº
• 3/4 cup ( milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

for the white glaze:

• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1-2 tablespoons hot water
• 1 teaspoon light corn syrup

for the chocolate glaze:

• 4 oz (120g) semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 teaspoons light corn syrup
• small pinch of salt

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Instructions

For the cookies:

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF / 180ºC.
2. Butter or line with parchment paper 2 cookie sheets.
3. In a large bowl beat butter and sugar until creamy, 1 or 2 minutes.
4. Add eggs, half of the milk and vanilla and mix until combined.
5. Add dry ingredients, flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt.
6. Mix a bit and then add some or all of the rest of the milk until you have a dough that can hold and be scooped. Sometimes I don’t use the full amount of milk.
7. Drop teaspoonfuls or small scoops of dough a few inches apart onto the baking sheets, and lightly flatten the tips with damp fingers.
8. Bake for 12-15 minutes, depending on the size, but check for doneness after 10 minutes. They should’ve risen slightly and start to barely color on the edges.
9. Let cool completely on wire racks.

For the white glaze:

1. Mix all ingredients until smooth.

For the chocolate glaze:

1. Melt chocolate or chips and butter (in the microwave or over a bowl of hot water not touching the bottom of the bowl).
2. Mix in the syrup and salt and mix until creamy.
3. Glaze each half cookie with one of the glazes, spreading them with the back of a spoon or a small spatula.
4. Let dry completely.