Ingredients
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cookies
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1¾ cups (8¾ ounces) all-purpose Flour
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½ teaspoon Baking Powder
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¼ teaspoon Baking Soda
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⅛ teaspoon Salt
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10 tablespoons Unsalted Butter
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1 cup (7 ounces) Granulated Sugar
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1 large Egg
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2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
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⅓ cup Sour Cream
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glaze
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5 cups (20 ounces) confectioners’ Sugar
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7 tablespoons whole Milk
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2 tablespoons Corn Syrup
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1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
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½ teaspoon Salt
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3 tablespoons Dutch-processed Cocoa Powder
Directions
These gigantic, tender, cakey cookies, a mainstay of New York City bakeries, are flavored with vanilla and sport a two-toned coat of icing—half chocolate and half vanilla. To create a black and white cookie worthy of its iconic status, we started with a basic creamed batter, then swapped in sour cream for the milk to add tenderness and rich flavor. We figured cake flour would further enhance tenderness, but it proved to be too much of a good thing, making the cookies crumbly; all-purpose flour provided enough structure to hold the cookies together. We dialed back the baking soda and baking powder to produce just enough lift while keeping the texture fine and even. For the icing, we had two major decisions to make: Should it be creamy or hard, and should it coat the round tops or flat undersides of the cookies? The second question was quickly settled; the flat undersides were far easier to frost. As for the texture, we discovered we could have it both ways: We made a simple glaze with confectioners’ sugar, milk, vanilla, and corn syrup that formed a crisp shell as it dried yet stayed creamy underneath. Creating the chocolate glaze was as simple as adding cocoa to the vanilla glaze. You’ll get neater cookies if you spread on the vanilla glaze first. This recipe provides a little extra glaze, just in case.
Steps
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1
Done
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For the Cookiesadjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 350 degree. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment pepper. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in bowl. |
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2
Done
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Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with sour cream in 2 additions, scraping down bowl as needed. Give dough final stir by hand to ensure that no dry pockets of flour remain. Using greased ¼-cup dry measuring cup, drop mounds of dough 3 inches apart on prepared sheets. Bake until edges are lightly browned, 15 to 18 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking. Let cookies cool on sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack. Let cookies cool completely. |
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3
Done
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For the GlazeWhisk sugar, 6 tablespoons milk, corn syrup, vanilla, and salt together in bowl until smooth. Transfer 1 cup glaze to small bowl; reserve. Whisk cocoa and remaining 1 tablespoon milk into remaining glaze until combined. |
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4
Done
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Working with 1 cookie at a time, spread 1 tablespoon vanilla glaze over half of flat side of cookie. Refrigerate until glaze is dry, about 15 minutes. Glaze other half of cookie with 1 tablespoon chocolate glaze. Let glaze dry for at least 1 hour before serving. |
