by Karen Soo, Newsletter Editor

These are one of my favorite cookies to make. The cookie is believed to have been created by Glaser’s Bake Shop, which was opened in 1902 by Bavarian immigrants in Manhattan. Many others believe the cookie began as “half-moon” cookies that were served at Hemstrought’s Bakery in Utica, New York. While it’s hard to tell where these cookies’ roots lie, each story shares one common element: they come from German food traditions.

Jerry Seinfeld made the Black and White cookie famous in one of his episodes.”Look to the cookie, Elaine. Look to the cookie”

Bon Appetite – Julia Child and Karen Soo share the same birthday.

Ingredients

Yield 12 to 14 Cookies

For the Cookies

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/3 cup sour cream or whole-milk yogurt
  • 1/3 cup whole milk
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), at room temperature
  • 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature

For the Glaze

  • 2 1/2 cups confectioner sugar
  • Boiling water, as needed
  • 11/2 tablespoons light corn syrup
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Pinch of fine sea salt
  • 2 ½ ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

Directions

  1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Arrange racks in top and bottom thirds, and line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, sea salt and baking soda. In a medium bowl, whisk together sour cream, milk, vanilla, lemon zest and almond extract.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.

4. Reduce speed to low and beat in 1/3 of the flour mixture, then 1/3 of the sour cream mixture. Repeat until both mixtures are incorporated, scraping sides of bowl as necessary. (Mixture will be the consistency of thick poundcake batter.

5. Dollop heaping 1/4-cup scoops Of batter onto prepared baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. (You should have 12 to 14 cookies.) Bake for 6 minutes. Rotate the baking sheets. Continue to bake until the cookies have firmed up and spring back when lightly pressed in the center, 6 to 9 minutes. (They’ll brown only on the bottoms.) Take care not to overbake, or they will dry out.

6. Transfer baking sheets to wire racks and let cool for 15 minutes, then transfer cookies directly to racks to cool completely.

7. While the cookies cool, make the glaze: Place the confectioners’ sugar in a medium bowl and whisk in 3 tablespoons boiling water, the corn syrup, vanilla and salt. Continue to whisk, adding more boiling water as needed, until you have a thick yet spreadable frosting that is the texture of hot fudge sauce. (Too thick is preferable to too thin.) Flip each cookie over and spoon glaze over half of its flat side, spreading to edges with the back of the spoon. Place on wire rack to set. You will have vanilla frosting left over.

8. Whisk melted chocolate into vanilla frosting, then whisk in cocoa and enough room temperature water to make a thick yet spreadable glaze. Glaze the bare half of each cookie. Let glaze set for at least 1 to 2 hours before serving.