Black and White Cookies

I am completely happy with our decision to move to LA. For my career it was definitely the right way to go. I am still a bit regretful we don't get New York bagels, Momofuku Milk Bar, or black and white cookies. There would have been a few upsides to going to grad school in NYC.

I am remedying these losses with my Momofuku cookbook and homemade black and white cookies. While not quite the same as the one we had in the city or the ones we had shipped from Brooklyn via Goldbely, these were pretty ridiculously tasty. The ones from New York have this almost sickly sweet, addictive, processed-tasting nature to them that these lack, which can be either a good or a bad thing depending on what you are expecting. Each has their place in my book.

I wasn't expecting the icing to come out as good as it did, but I was quite impressed. I intended to take these to our end-of-the-quarter lab party, but in sneaking out of the apartment without Bella noticing I forgot them and was completely kicking myself. I spent several hours the night before working on those cookies for nothing! Well not for nothing, as I guess that simply means more black and white cookies for the two of us! Nothing good for our waistlines.

Black and White Cookies

yields ~1 1/2 dozen cookies

Cookies

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon extract
• 4 cups cake flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup whole milk

1. Preheat the oven to 375º. Line baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper.
2. Cream together the butter and the sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
3. Add eggs to the butter/sugar mixture, one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition.
4. Add in the vanilla and lemon extracts and mix. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
5. In a medium sized bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
6. With the mixer on low speed, add approximately 1/4 of the flour mixture followed by 1/3 of the milk. Continue alternating between flour and milk, ending with the flour mixture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix until just combined. Do not over mix.
7. Scoop 1/4 cup of dough out and place on the baking sheet. With damp fingers, press the dough chunks into approximately 2 1/2" circles. Only place 6 cookies per baking sheet, so as the cookies don't run into each other during baking.
8. Bake for approximately 18 minutes.
9. Allow the cookies to cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack. Allow cookies to cool completely before icing.

Icing

• 1/3 cup water
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 5 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate

1. Combine the water and corn syrup in a medium sized saucepan and bring to a boil.
2. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the powdered sugar. Add in the vanilla extract and stir.
3. Using an offset spatula place approximately 2 tablespoons worth of icing on one half of the cookie and spread around that half. Scrape of any excess from the edges.
4. Melt the chocolate in the microwave or using a double boiler, then whisk the chocolate into the remaining icing. Add in hot water one tablespoon at a time if the icing is too thick.
5. Spread the chocolate icing on the other half of the cookie, the same as you did with the white.
6. Allow the icing to harden before storing the cookies in an airtight container with wax paper in between each cookie.

recipe from America's Test Kitchen via Baking Illustrated