New York Style Black & White Cookies: Easy and Delicious
I grew up in northern New Jersey. We were just a hops, skip, and a jump, (and an hour long wait to cross the George Washington Bridge) from New York City. This meant that we enjoyed a lot of New York’s finest treats. Things like bagels, hot pretzels, pizza, and black & white cookies.
Please don’t ask me to pick a favorite among them, because I’d be hard-pressed to give up any one of these delicious foods. But black and white cookies hold a special place in my heart.
Now that I live far from New York City, I’ve had to recreate many of favorite foods. And these black and white cookies are the real deal. I love them any time of year, but I think they make an especially pretty addition to my Christmas Cookie tray.
Why You’ll Love Them:
Black and white cookies are part cookie, part cake. The cookie has a soft cake like texture so it’s like two desserts in one.
The cookies itself isn’t overly sweet, (which means it can easily double as breakfast), but the glaze gives it just the perfect amount of sweetness to be a treat. And with half vanilla, half chocolate icing, you don’t have to choose a favorite flavor.
You can eat your favorite side first. Or save it for last. Or try and get some vanilla and chocolate in each bite. While this can be tough with traditional black and white cookies (some of them are as big as a dinner plate), my recipe calls for bite-size black and white cookies. This makes it possible to enjoy vanilla and chocolate in every bit. (And when cookies are small you can have more than one.)
Black and white cookies are moist, delicious, and perfect with a cup of a tea.
How to Make Black and White Cookies
Cookies:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. I love these precut baking sheets, especially during the holidays when I am doing tons of baking.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking soda and whisk together. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter until light in color, about 3 minutes. Be sure to use softened butter. Do not melt butter in the microwave, or the cookies will spread too much when you bake. Add the sugar and mix on high until light and fluffy.
The add a room temperature egg and vanilla, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Continue mixing until well combined.
Turn the mixer to low and add the flour mixture and sour cream in three alternating batches. Be sure to start and end with the flour. Use a spatula to scrape the bowl down. Mix just until combined.
Use a small cookie scoop to drop balls of batter onto your lined baking sheets leave about 4 inches between each cookie as they spread in the oven. Even though these cookies are small, I recommend no more than 8 per baking sheet.
Bake on the center rack at 350 degrees F for 13-15 minutes or until the centers are springy to the touch. All the cookies to cool on the pan for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Place the cookies upside down to cool so the bottom becomes the flat top you will ice.
Frosting:
When the cookies are cool, it’s time to make the frosting. Make sure you don’t ice arm cookies or the icing will melt and slide off. Combine the powdered sugar, vanilla, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of corn syrup, and half the water in a large bowl. Mix until smooth, adding more water as needed to a make a thin spreadable icing.
Transfer half the icing to another bowl and add 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder and and 2 teaspoons of corn syrup. You can also add a couple of teaspoons of water, if needed. Mix until glossy and smooth You want the chocolate icing to match the consistency of the vanilla icing.
Use a small spatula or knife to cover half of each cookie in a thin layer of vanilla icing. Use the edge of the knife or an offset spatula to create a neat line along the middle. Use the sharp edge to gently draw the icing from the center to the edge of the cookie. Clean your tool and repeat from the center to the edge a second time.
Allow the icing to set then cover the other side of the cookie with the chocolate icing. To help the icing set quickly, you can put the cookies into the fridge for 20 to 25 minutes after you’ve added the vanilla icing. Letting the vanilla set before adding the chocolate is key to a clean line.
This time use your spatula to push the chocolate right to the center then give it a quick smooth and allow to set completely.
Enjoy
Black and white cookies are the perfect treat. They’re soft and delicious flavor are sure to be a hit with everyone. Simple classic flavors bring lots of smiles.
They look pretty, impressive even, but they are a piece of cake to make. And they add a traditional glamour to your cookie plate.
Black and white cookies go well with milk, coffee, and tea.
Store covered in an airtight container for up to five days. You can also make the cookies ahead and freeze them in a freezer bag. But wait to ice them until you are ready to serve.
More Cookie Recipes
Would you like more delicious nut free cookie recipes that are perfect for the holidays and beyond. Download my FREE Nut Free Cookie Guide. You’ll find simple recipes for 7 of my favorite cookies:
- Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- Oreo Brookie Bars
- Sunflower Butter Cookie Cups
- Chocolate Heath Bar Cookies
- Cookie Butter Cookies
- Lemon Bars
Download your FREE Nut Free Cookie guide today!
Happy Eating!
PS: Try my Sunflower Butter Cookie Cups for another fun addition to your cookie tray.
Black and White Cookies
Print RecipeIngredients
Cookies
- 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup sour cream
Icing
- 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 2 tsp lemon juice fresh optional
- 2 tbsp water plus more as needed
- 1 tbsp + 2 tsp light corn syrup
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Combine the flour, salt, and baking soda in a bowl and whisk together. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter until light in colior, about 3 minutes.
- Add the sugar and mix on high until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg and vanilla, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Continue mixing until well combined.
- Turn mixer to low and add the flour mixture and sour cream in three alternating batches starting and ending with the flour. Mix until just combined then use a spatula to scrape the bowl down.
- Use a ¼ cup cookie scoop to drop balls of batter onto your lined baking sheets leave about 4 inches between each cookie as they spread in the oven. I recommend no more than 5 per baking sheet. You’ll want just under ¼ cup of batter for each cookie.
- Bake on the center rack at 350 F for 13-14 minutes or until the centers are springy to the touch. Cool on pan for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Place the cookies upside down to cool so the bottom becomes the flat top you will ice.
- When the cookies are cool combine the powdered sugar, vanilla, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon corn syrup and water in a large bowl then mix until smooth, adding more water as needed to a thinner spreadable icing.
- Transfer half the icing to another bowl and add 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder and a few teaspoons of water and 2 teaspoons of corn syrup. Mix until glossy and smooth adding more water if needed to match the consistency of the vanilla icing.
- Use a small spatula or knife cover half of each cookie in a thin layer of vanilla icing. Use the edge of a knife or offset spatula to create a neat line along the middle; just use the sharp edge to gently draw the icing from the center to the edge then clean the tool and repeat from the center to the other edge a second time. Allow the icing to set then cover the other side with the chocolate icing. This time use your spatula to push the chocolate right to the center then give it a quick smooth and allow to set completely.
Notes
Take the butter out of the fridge in advance to soften it. Do not heat in the microwave or the butter will be too soft and cause the cookies to spread too much.
Dutch process cocoa powder like Hershey’s will give you that characteristic dark color.
Make sure your baking soda hasn’t expired as it’s a key ingredient for the shape and texture of the cookies.
Let the cookies cool completely before icing or the vanilla icing will melt.
To help the icing set quickly, you can put the cookies into the fridge for 20 to 25 minutes after you’ve added the vanilla icing. Letting the vanilla set before adding the chocolate is key to a clean line.
Remember, you are icing the flat side and not the rounded side of the cookies..
This recipe makes about 8 large bakery size cookies. I usually make 24 small bite-sized cookies, especially if I am making them at Christmas or for a cookie tray.
You can double or triple the recipe as needed.
