Black and White Cookies - a trip down memory lane

The year is nineteen never mind, the place Pastry Land, Poughkeepsie, New York.  I was a kid and a trip to Pastry Land meant a black and white cookie.  Black and white cookies those too big cookies that doubled as little cakes with chocolate and vanilla frosting - half and half.  When I ate mine I saved the chocolate side for last.

 The year is 2008, the place Starbucks, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.  I limped in after the gym for my venti quad shot no fat wet cappuccino rocket fuel drink.  And there they were…little packages of little black and white cookies.  Oh, how I loved them.  Thoughts of Pastry Land danced though my mind.  I grabbed my drink, headed home thinking about black and white cookies.

I knew I had a recipe for them somewhere in one of my files.  It was ages, yonks, maybe even years ago…had to be in a (surprise?) magazine.  I finally found it tucked away in 2002.  They couldn’t have been easier to make.  I made a few changes to the icing but as far as the cookies go?  Sometimes there’s no room for improvement (maybe just a little more vanilla).

I think my kids will love Mom’s trip down memory lane.

Ingredients

Makes:  8 cookies

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1/3-cup buttermilk (shaken)

1-teaspoon vanilla

1/3 cup unsalted butter – room temperature

½ cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

For the icing

Chocolate (Black) Icing

¾ cup confectioners sugar

1-tablespoon light corn syrup

1 teaspoon lemon juice

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons water (you may need more)

¼ unsweetened cocoa powder

Vanilla (White) Icing

1 ½ cups confectioners sugar

1-tablespoon light corn syrup

½ teaspoon lemon juice

1-teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons water

Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.  Stir the buttermilk and vanilla together in another bowl.  Using an electric mixer beat the butter and sugar together until light, pale and fluffy.  Add the egg and continue beating until well combined.

On low speed, beat the flour mixture and buttermilk alternating, scraping down the sides of the bowl.  Begin and end with the flour.  Mix until smooth. 

Spoon batter (about a ¼ cup) on to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Bake in middle of oven for 15-17 minutes until the cookies spring back when touched.  Do not over bake or the cookies will be dry.

Transfer to a rack and cool completely before icing them.

Make the icings separately

For the vanilla:  using a spatula mix the confectionary sugar, corn syrup, lemon juice vanilla and 1 tablespoon of water in a small bowl until smooth.  The icing will be on the stiff side.  Turn the cookies flat side up and spread icing on half of each cookie making sure the icing extends to the edges.

For the chocolate:  using a spatula mix all the ingredients (as above). When you add the cocoa the icing will get very stiff.  Add enough water in teaspoon measures to bring the icing to the same spreading consistency as the vanilla icing.  Ice the other side of the cookies making sure the chocolate extends to the edges.

Adapted from Gourmet February 2002 magazine