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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
Ingredients
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
- 12 ½ oz icing sugar
- 1 tbsp golden syrup
- 4 tbsp hot water
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ⅞ oz cocoa powder
- 1 oz dark chocolatemelted
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Method
0/6 doneStep 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 minStep 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 minStep 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 minStep 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 minStep 5: Turn the cookies flat-side up and spread vanilla icing over one half of each. Let it set for 15 minutes.
20 minStep 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.
KrazyBadal
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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