I have two cookbooks dedicated solely to cookies yet I never really think to make them! It’s not until an event pops up that requires cookies to be made that I remember I have these books.

There was a service event at church calling for homemade cookies. I searched through my Pinterest boards and found a couple of recipes that intrigued me, but when it came time to bake them I realized I didn’t have all of the ingredients as I’d thought, and then I continued reading and didn’t have time to chill the dough long enough either. So I opened up The Gourmet Cookie Book: The Single Best Recipe from Each Year 1941-2009 on a mission to find a recipe that would make at least 2 dozen cookies, could be made quickly, and with what I had on hand. The recipe I chose is from December 2005.

Black and White Cookies are, according to the cookbook, somewhat of a favorite in NYC. I’ve never had the classic half black half white cookie so I can’t confirm that these tasted like the real deal or not. I know they don’t look like the real deal though because I don’t have the talent or patience to frost 28 cookies, so I used piping bags and went wild.

Mini Black and White Cookies

Ingredients for cookies:

• 7 tbsp butter, softened
• 1/2 C sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 1/4 C flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/3 C buttermilk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Ingredients for icing:

• 2 3/4 C powdered sugar
• 2 tbsp corn syrup
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 4-6 tbsp water
• 1/4 C cocoa powder

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 2 baking sheets.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the egg and beat until combined.
3. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
4. In another bowl or glass, whisk the buttermilk and vanilla.
5. Alternately add the dry and wet ingredients to the butter, beginning and ending with the dry.
6. Place spoonfuls of dough onto prepared baking sheet and bake 6-8 minutes, rotating pans halfway. The cookies are done when they’ve puffed and the edges are a pale gold. Allow cookies to cool on a cooling rack.
7. Make the icings: Whisk together the powdered sugar, corn syrup, lemon juice, vanilla, and 2 tbsp water. Add more water if needed. Divide icing in half and stir the cocoa powder into one half.
8. Frost the cooled cookies: Classically they are half white and half black. If you pipe like I did you can get away with a half batch of icings.

*This recipe is adapted from The Gourmet Cookie Book: The Single Best Recipe from Each Year 1941-2009*

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