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Black and white cookies

Soft cakey New York cookies iced half vanilla, half chocolate

The black and white is a New York bakery fixture, a saucer-sized, soft, lemony cookie that is closer to a sponge than a biscuit, iced half in vanilla and half in chocolate. Delis and Jewish bakeries from the Upper West Side to Brooklyn sell them by the till. Chef's tip: ice the flat underside, not the domed top, and do the vanilla half first so the chocolate doesn't bleed into it.
Total time
45 min
Difficulty
medium
Serves
12
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Ingredients

Serves12

For the cookies

  • 4 oz buttersoft
  • 5 ½ oz sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • 10 oz plain flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ½ cup milk

For the icing

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Method

0/6 done
  1. Step 1: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan) and line two trays. Beat the 4 oz butter and 5 ½ oz sugar until pale, then the 2 eggs, 1 tsp vanilla extract and 1 tsp lemon zest.

    6 min
  2. Step 2: Mix the 10 oz plain flour, 1 tsp baking powder and ¼ tsp salt, and fold in alternately with the ½ cup milk to a soft batter.

    3 min
  3. Step 3: Drop 12 large spoonfuls well apart and spread each to 8 cm. Bake for 12–15 minutes, until the edges are just golden and the tops spring back. Cool on a rack.

    18 min
  4. Step 4: Mix the 12 ½ oz icing sugar, 1 tbsp golden syrup, ½ tsp vanilla extract and enough 4 tbsp hot water to make a thick, smooth icing that coats a spoon.

    3 min
  5. Step 5: Turn the cookies flat-side up and spread vanilla icing over one half of each. Let it set for 15 minutes.

    20 min
  6. Step 6: Stir the ⅞ oz cocoa powder and melted 1 oz dark chocolate into the remaining icing, loosening with a few drops of water, and spread over the other halves. A common mistake is runny icing; it should hold a clean line. Leave to set for 1 hour.

    60 min

Nutrition per serving

Calories
310 kcal
Protein
4 g
Carbs
52 g
Fat
10 g
Fibre
1 g

Nutrition values are estimates.

K
Recipe by

KrazyBadal

All recipes by this chef →

Good to know

How long does black and white cookies take?
About 45 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
How many people does it serve?
12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
Is it vegetarian?
Yes. It has no meat or fish.
What can I use instead of butter?
The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
What can I use instead of sugar?
Caster sugar, same amount.

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