Black & Whites

I don't remember when I tried my first Black and White cookie, but I know that they now rank solidly in my top five all-time favorite cookies. All-time is big. It's like making it to the top 10 on American Idol or to the all-star team of whatever sport you're good at.

Black & White cookies can be found in almost every bodega and bakery in the city. The commercially made versions are tightly wrapped in cellophane and slightly smaller than the size of a salad plate. I'm not exaggerating when I say they are huge. These cookies are perfect for sharing because they are so big you would feel like a glutton if you ate a whole one. And you'd be on a sugar high for days. Store bought Black & Whites are iced with a layer of smooth white icing on one half and chocolate fondant on the opposite side. Which side to eat first if a hotly debated topic. My advice is to go with your gut instinct and you can't go wrong.

I found this recipe in one of my go-to cookie books, Got Milk? The Cookie Book by Peggy Cullen. I think it's a winner. Try making mini Black & Whites by simply reducing the amount of batter you spoon onto the baking sheets. You'll have more to ice, but the small cookies will look great if you're making a variety of cookies for a dessert platter.

This cookie requires a trip to the store to pick up a few things you probably don't have in your pantry.

1. Parchment Paper (a must here to keep the cookies from spreading too much or sticking to the baking sheets).

2. Cake flour (usually comes in a box). Do not buy self-rising cake flour.

3. Whole milk and bittersweet chocolate. I used a bar of Ghiradelli bittersweet chocolate.

Ready, set, bake!

Black & Whites

1 stick softened, unsalted butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 large egg yolks, room temperature
1 teaspoon milk
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons cake flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Icing

2 ounces bittersweet chocolate
2 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
5 tablespoons boiling water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, sift the cake flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk to combine. Set aside.

In a mixer fitted with paddle attachment or in a medium bowl with a hand-held mixer, beat butter, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Scrape bowl using a rubber spatula. Beat in the eggs and egg yolks one at a time. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again with spatula. Add the milk.

On low speed, add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with spatula and mix again for just a few seconds.

Scoop the batter onto prepared baking sheets using an ice cream scoop, leveling it off across the top before dropping onto sheets about 2 1/2 inches apart. Do not crowd the mounds of batter on the sheets. Bake one tray at a time for 15 minutes, or until the centers spring back lightly when touched. Do not allow cookies to brown.

Let sit for five minutes and then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Do not overbake.

Icing Instructions

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in the microware, being careful not to burn or allow any water to come in contact with the chocolate or it will seize.

In a medium bowl, use a whisk to combine confectioners' sugar and boiling water. Add the vanilla. The consistency should be slightly runny, but thick enough to spread. Add more water to thin if necessary or more sugar to thicken it. Using an offset spatula or butter knife, spread half of the flat side of each cookie with icing.

When all cookies are iced with white frosting, add melted chocolate to the remaining icing and thin with additional hot water if necessary (it's okay to add hot water to chocolate). Spread chocolate icing on remaining half of each cookie. You may need to add hot water a few times to keep chocolate icing from becoming to thick.

The cookies are best the day they are made. You can store them un-iced, refrigerated in an airtight container overnight, or freeze them for up to two weeks before icing.

Coconut Macaroons

I'm trying to eat healthy these days and still satisfy my sweet tooth. Coconut macaroons answer the call because they are simple to make, delicious (if you like coconut), and relatively healthy as compared to most other cookies. There is no flour, no butter, no granulated sugar, and very little measuring which makes them an ideal treat when you're in a hurry and don't want to make a huge mess in the kitchen.


This recipe is from Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa Family Style cookbook.

Coconut Macaroons

14 ounces sweetened shredded coconut
14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
1 t pure vanilla extract
2 extra large egg whites, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Combine the coconut, condensed milk, and vanilla in a large bowl. Separate the eggs and whip the egg whites and salt on high speed in the bowl of a mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Whip until egg white form medium peaks. Carefully fold the egg whites into the coconut mixture.

Drop the batter onto sheet pans lined with parchment paper using a 1 3/4 inch ice cream scoop or two teaspoons.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. Cool and serve.

These cookies are best eaten they day they are made, but will stay fresh and moist for approximately three days in an airtight container at room temperature.

Cookie Press Review

Seems to me this is an all or nothing cookie. Either you love them or you hate them. My tasters were split down the middle. Luckily, those who loved them, really loved them and came back for seconds. As I mentioned above, these cookies are best the day they are made, but will last a few days if kept at room temperature. What I love about them is that I didn't have to dirty measuring cups or spend time wiping spilled flour off of the counter top. The coconut is pre-measured. Just dump two small bags into a bowl and add the sweetened condensed milk into the coconut. Easy Peezy as chef Jamie Oliver says!

Cookie press rating: 3.5 cookies (out of five)

Easter Cutouts

Easter was only a few days ago and my blood sugar levels are returning to normal after gorging on peeps, jelly beans, chocolate cream pie, and sugar cutout cookies of bunnies, chicks, and bugs. Yes, bugs.

I confess that I didn't actually bake any cookies this week so I'm resorting to a little help from my sister-in-law who is a fan of the blog (Hi Tammy!) and who has made many of the cookies found here. Tammy arrived on Easter Sunday with a gorgeous array of cutout cookies iced with a wonderful looking sparkly icing in supercharged colors. After a few questions I found out that the cookie cutouts are from Martha Stewart's bug collection and the icing is sparkle gel from Wilton and comes in tubes.


















I love the look of the brightly colored chicks, carrots, dragonflys and ladybugs. The cookie recipe is from Martha Stewart which always makes a deliciously buttery cookie.

As long as I'm sharing, here are the other dessert choices from Easter Sunday. My mom makes the best, tastiest pies on the face of the earth and we always have at least two to choose from. This year she made three amazing works of art.

Chocolate Cream Pie






Key Lime Pie





Lemon Meringue