Black and White Cookies
Source: Gourmet - February 2002
These dramatic cakelike cookies are a New York City favorite
For cookies:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (Cindy's note - can sub 1T cornstarch for 1T flour for a finer crumb))
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup well-shaken buttermilk
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup (5 1/3 T) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
For icings
1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
1 T light corn syrup
2 tsp fresh lemon juice (Cindy's note - I use just a squeeze)
1/4 tsp vanilla
1 to 2 T water
1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
Make cookies:
Preheat oven to 350°F.
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 until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes, then add egg, beating until combined well.
Mix in flour mixture and buttermilk mixture alternately in batches at low speed (scraping down side of bowl occasionally), beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix until smooth.
Spoon 1/4 cups of batter (Cindy's note - can use 2T for smaller cookies) about 2 inches apart onto a buttered large baking sheet. Bake in middle of oven until tops are puffed and pale golden, and cookies spring back when touched, 15 to 17 minutes (12 minutes for smaller cookies). Transfer with a metal spatula to a rack to cool, about 5 minutes.
Make icings while cookies cool:
Stir together confectioners sugar, corn syrup, lemon juice, vanilla, and 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl until smooth. 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 white icing.
Ice cookies: Turn cookies flat sides up, then spread white icing over half of each and chocolate over other half.
Yield: Makes about 8 large cookies or 16 medium cookies