Black and White Cookies- Brooklyn Style

In her book"Desserts by the Yard", Sherry Yard had these cookies under her chapter entitled "Brooklyn Inspirations". And this larger size is the Brooklyn size!

These delicious cookies have that typical cakelike consistency with a wonderful vanilla and chocolate glaze. My son, Kris, absolutely loved these! They're really quite easy to make, just the glaze can be a bit tricky. The book doesn't give the best description of how thin or thick the glaze should be but you can kind of tell when you begin to spread it on top of the cookie that you need more confectioners' sugar to thicken it or more hot water to thin it.


Begin by sifting the dry ingredients into a medium bowl, then set aside.

Cream the butter and sugar in your mixer bowl for 2 minutes.

Add the egg and vanilla and mix til incorporated, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl.

In 2 to 3 additions, on low speed, add the flour mixture, alternating with the buttermilk.

Beat til the ingredients are all mixed together.

Then, scoop out the batter and place onto the prepared baking sheet. I used my large scoop.

Bake 10 minutes, then rotate pan and bake another 8 to 10 minutes.

While cookies are cooling, make the glaze by combining confectioners' sugar, corn syrup, water and vanilla. Mix til smooth and divide the mixture between 2 bowls.

So you have the vanilla in one bowl...

Then you add the cocoa powder and melted chocolate to the other bowl and make the chocolate glaze.

Both my glazes did need more hot water, adding about 1/2 teaspoon at a time til I got a nice thin but not too runny consistency.

Then scoop up a little bit and begin by spreading one of the flavors on one side , then the other flavor on the other side. ( It was suggested to allow one of the flavors to set before adding the other, but I'm too impatient!). You'll know you have too much glaze on top if it runs down the side too much!

Black and White Cookies Brooklyn Style ( from "Desserts by the Yard" by Sherry Yard)

Makes 24 Large Cookies ( I only got about 18, however!)

Cookies:

1 cup cake flour

1 cup AP flour

1 tsp. baking powder

6 ozs. ( 1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 large egg, room temp.

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup buttermilk

Icing ( or glaze):

2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, plus more as needed

1 tbsp. light corn syrup, plus more as needed

2 tbsp. hot water, plus more as needed

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

Preheat oven to 350. Place a rack on the lowest postition of the oven. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

Cookies:

1. Sift together cake flour, AP flour and baking powder. Set aside.

2. In large mixer bowl, cream butter and sugar at medium speed til fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down sides of the bowl.

3. Add the egg and vanilla and mix on medium speed til incorporated. Scrape down sides of bowl and paddle.

4. In 1 or 2 additions, beating on low speed, add the flour mixture, alternating with the buttermilk. Beat til all incorporated.

5. Spoon 1/4 to 1/3 cup batter per cookie onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving a couple of inches apart for spreading.

6. Bake one sheet at a time, for 10 minutes, then turn and bake another 8 to 10 minutes.

7. Allow cookie to cool a few minutes on baking sheet, then transfer to wire rack.

Glaze:

1. In a small bowl, combine confectioners' sugar, corn syrup, water and vanilla. Stir together til smooth.

2. Divide between 2 bowls.

3. Melt chocolate either in a microwave safe bowl or using a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir til smooth.

4. Scrape the melted chocolate along with the cocoa powder into one of the bowls. Add a little more hot water ( up to 2 tablespoons) and up to 1 teaspoon more corn syrup to get a smooth shiny mixture.

5. Brush half of each cookie with chocolate icing and allow to set. ( I used a knife to spread on each cookie and was too impatient to allow to set and it was fine). Then brush with vanilla flavor. Allow to set. ( Pop into the fridge for a quicker set.)

Cookies will keep, stored air tight, for 2 days.