NY Black & White Cookies

Written by on in Culinary world trip, Desserts, USA

A New York classic, these iconic cookies are more like flat cakes coated with chocolate icing on one half and vanilla on the other. They are best eaten within 24 hours of baking when the cake is at its softest. But if you store them in an airtight container at room temperature, they’ll be good for a few days longer.

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Apropos: In Germany, those cookies are known as Amerikaner, literally Americans.

 

NY Black & White Cookies

  • Servings: 12-14
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

Cookie Batter
  • 2 cups / 255g of all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon of baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon of fine sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
  • 1/3 cup / 80ml of sour cream or whole milk yogurt
  • 1/3 cup / 80ml of whole milk
  • 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon of finely grated lemon zest
  • 1/4 teaspoon of almond extract
  • 1/2 cup / 115g of unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons / 200g of granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
Glaze
  • 2 1/2 cups / 300g of confectioners’ sugar
  • boiling water, as needed
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons of light corn syrup
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
  • a pinch of fine sea salt
  • 2 1/2oz / 70g of unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons of unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

  2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, sea salt, and baking soda. In a second bowl, whisk together sour cream, milk, vanilla, lemon zest, and almond extract.

  3. In another large mixing bowl, beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.

  4. Reduce the speed to low and beat in 1/3 of the flour mixture, then 1/3 of the sour cream mixture. Repeat until both mixtures are incorporated, scraping sides of the bowl if necessary. The mixture should have the consistency of a thick batter.

  5. Dollop heaping 1/4-cup scoops of batter onto prepared baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. Bake in the middle of the oven, until tops are puffed and pale golden, and the cookies, have firmed and spring back when lightly pressed in the center, 12 – 15 minutes. Take care not to overbake, or they will dry out.

  6. Transfer with a metal spatula to a wire rack and let cool completely.
  7. While the cookies cool, make the glaze: Place the confectioners’ sugar in a medium bowl and whisk in 3 tablespoons boiling water, the corn syrup, vanilla, and salt. Continue to whisk, adding more boiling water as needed, until you have a thick yet spreadable frosting that is the texture of hot fudge sauce. Too thick is preferable to too thin. Flip each cookie over and spoon glaze over half of its flat side, spreading to the edges with the back of the spoon or a small spatula. Place on a wire rack to set. You will have vanilla frosting left over.
  8. Whisk melted chocolate into the vanilla frosting, then whisk in the cocoa and enough hot water to make a thick yet spreadable glaze. Glaze the other half of each cookie, overlapping slightly. Let glaze set for at least 1 to 2 hours before serving.

 

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