black and white cookies

I was a little sad that I couldn't find time for the daring bakers challenge this month, especially since it was puff pastry! I've always wanted to try that. Nonetheless, I think I lived up to the spirit of "daring baking" by making something completely new this month: black and white cookies!

That's right, up until earlier this week I had never made a black and white cookie. I love them cause they're essentially little cakes, but in the shape of a cookie. And they are just so sweet and delicious. I also hadn't had one since my spring break trip to New York City, where we risked missing the bus back home just to get some good old black and whites before we left. So when the occasion for cookie baking arose, I dedicated my afternoon to a cookie baking extravaganza and it yielded some pretty delicious results.


Mini Black and White Cookies
from Gourmet Magazine

For Cookies:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup well-shaken buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg

For Icing:
2 3/4 cup confectioners sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

4 to 6 tablespoons water
1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

Preheat oven to 350. Butter 2 large baking sheets.

Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Stir together buttermilk and vanilla in a cup. Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes, then add egg, beating until combined well. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture and buttermilk mixture alternately in batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture, and mixing just until smooth. Drop rounded teaspoons(for real. I was not consistent at all and mine are all sorts of sizes) of batter 1 inch apart onto baking sheets. Bake, switching positions of sheets halfway through baking, until tops are puffed, edges are pale golden, and cookies spring back when touched, 6 to 8 minutes total. Transfer to a rack to cool.

Stir together confectioners sugar, corn syrup, lemon juice, vanilla, and 2 tablespoons water in a small bowl until smooth. If icing is not easily spreadable, add more water, 1/2 teaspoon at a time. Transfer half of icing to another bowl and stir in cocoa, adding more water, 1/2 teaspoon at a time, to thin to same consistency as vanilla icing. Cover surface with a dampened paper towel, then cover bowl with plastic wrap.

With offset spatula, spread white icing over half of flat side of each cookie. Starting with cookies you iced first, spread chocolate icing over other half.