Black and White Cookies

This article combines two things I love: Black and White Cookies and Seinfeld. It was published the day before the series finale (I remember being so disappointed), and the article recalls the episode where Jerry reflects on the cookie's message about racial harmony and says "Look to the cookie."

I liked Black and Whites before I even knew it was a New York cookie. It seemed fitting to want to make these cookies to mark my first year living in New York, but I'm a little late for that. About four months too late. Instead, I made these in celebration of a friend ending her four-year stint here. She's moving back out to the Midwest to be closer to her husband, and even though I've only known her a year (and she may not even like sweets like these), I'm dedicating these to my friend Daisy, whose gracious presence will certainly be missed around here.

Black and White Cookies
adapted from NYTimes, originally from Zabar's

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon lemon extract
2 1/2 cups cake flour
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1/3 to 1/2 cup boiling water
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1 teaspoon light corn syrup

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375F degrees. Spray 2 baking sheets with nonstick spray, or line with parchment paper.
2. In large mixing bowl, combine sugar and butter. Mix by machine or hand until fluffy. Add eggs, milk and vanilla and lemon extracts, and mix until smooth.
3. In medium bowl, combine cake flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt. Stir until mixed. Add dry mixture to the wet in batches, stirring well after each addition. Using a soup spoon, place heaping spoonfuls of the dough 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Bake until edges begin to brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Cool completely.
4. Place confectioners' sugar in large mixing bowl. Gradually stir in enough boiling water to the sugar to make a thick, spreadable mixture.
5. Put half the frosting in the top half of a double-boiler. Add the chocolate and corn syrup, and set over simmering water. Warm the mixture, stirring, until chocolate is melted and frosting is smooth. Turn off the heat, but leave chocolate frosting over hot water to keep it spreadable. Ice half of the top of each cookie with chocolate frosting, and the other half with white frosting. Let dry, and store in an airtight container. Makes 4 dozen small cookies.