Black-and-White Cookies Recipe (2024)

By William Grimes

Black-and-White Cookies Recipe (1)

Total Time
1 hour
Rating
4(627)
Notes
Read community notes

There is no reason to settle for a stale shrink-wrapped cookie from the produce market. This classic New York cookie is easy to make.

Featured in: Look to the Cookie': An Ode in Black and White

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Ingredients

Yield:2 dozen large cookies

  • cups granulated sugar
  • 1cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), at room temperature
  • 4large eggs
  • cups milk
  • ½teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼teaspoon lemon extract
  • cups cake flour
  • cups all-purpose flour
  • ½teaspoon baking powder
  • ½teaspoon salt
  • 4cups confectioners' sugar
  • ⅓ to ½cup boiling water
  • 1ounce bittersweet chocolate
  • 1teaspoon light corn syrup

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Nutritional analysis per serving (24 servings)

329 calories; 10 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 57 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 36 grams sugars; 4 grams protein; 77 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Black-and-White Cookies Recipe (2)

Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 2 baking sheets with nonstick spray, or line with parchment paper.

  2. Step

    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. Step

    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. Step

    4

    Place confectioners' sugar in large mixing bowl. Gradually stir in enough boiling water to the sugar to make a thick, spreadable mixture.

  5. Step

    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. With a brush, coat 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.

Ratings

4

out of 5

627

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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

EJ

These are the real deal ... a true taste of home. After making it once, I did make one change. I make half the frosting first and cover half of the cookies with the "white", then I make the chocolate half. That way, I'm frosting each side while it's fresh and spreadable. It's much easier that way.

Sara N

These cookies really just don't taste like anything. I even added more chocolate to the frosting and they still just tasted bitter and bland. Sad :(

Roberta

A little lemon juice is added to white frosting in other recipes. Helps combat that 10X taste.

Kathy

This recipe was a huge disappointment. The cookies were dry. The icing was tasteless.

Art

Cookies were excellent. I suspect people who complained that they were flavorless of gummy have poor baking skills. Substituting a tablespoon of oil for a tablespoon of butter made them even moister and extended their life significantly.

Ted Ray

Interesting recipe. I have found one, with video instructions, from a native Brooklynite, that I like somewhat better. Check it out here: https://youtu.be/8N8IUxqlPbU

chbbrooklyn

I made these this morning and loved them because they came out big like a traditional b& w cookie!

agamaryland

Using real fondant, (pouring fondant, not rolled fondant) makes a huge difference in the taste of the icing. Mastering the Art 1st edition by Julia Child et al has a fondant recipe, but buying it is certainly easier. It's harder to find in small quantities, I know, but possibly easier in NYC. I buy a 50 pound quantity for about $30 and break it into smaller portions, very well wrapped and sealed, and it lasts for at least a year,( I've held it for years)

Hannah

This is great. Now I can make them black or white for those in my family who only like the white half, then hand the other halves over to my brother, who likes his chocolate frosting. His birthday is coming up soon, anyway. :)

M3M

I wish I had known that adding the milk to the butter/sugar/egg mixture would make the whole mixture curdle. I wouldn't have thrown out the first batch. I thought the lemon extract caused the curdling. When it happened a second time without any lemon extract, I just proceeded with the recipe. The cookies turned out fine. The cookie itself is not particularly flavorful, but with the frosting they're wonderful.

Ali

Make big and do 8 per cookie sheet. Baked for closer to 22 mins. Frost upside down on the flat side and do vanilla first, then make chocolate icing, working quickly.

Lori

When doing the chocolate glaze, heat till pourable. Will get the the smooth shine that should be there. I tried to spread it on as I did the white, did not look right and did not look appealing.

Emily

I followed this recipe to a T, and it was a total disaster. I even tried it twice - thinking I'd done something wrong. No one tells you the lemon extract causes the icing to curdle. The cookies were horrible and cakey with a strange sour taste.

Dissapponting.

They really didn’t taste like anything.

Morgan

I doubled this recipe, but followed it to a t...cookies came out super lumpy, dense, and not great. Vanilla icing came out too translucent despite my attempts at SLOWLY adding wet ingredients to sugar. I don't know what the heck was going on with the chocolate icing, but I ended up just ditching and making a ganache instead. Overall, I'm sorry I was disappointed by this recipe. ALTHOUGH, in my house, all were eaten...a victory nonetheless.

becca

Yeah I agree with the other reviewers, pretty bland and I was generous with lemon and vanilla. Very cakey batter, too dense and thick. Thankfully I halved the recipe to try it out but I’d say if you want to make these find a recipe elsewhere.

ZW

I was afraid to try these with all the bad comments, but they turned out exactly as expected. The frosting does look as good as the ones at the deli, but I think that’s a user error more than anything.

Ly

These cookies are bland and not worth making. So sad.

Kirsten

I’m intrigued to try these. In Australia we have Neenish tarts which are probably our closest approximation. Ours have a short crust shell, mock cream filling and a black and white top.

Art

Cookies were excellent. I suspect people who complained that they were flavorless of gummy have poor baking skills. Substituting a tablespoon of oil for a tablespoon of butter made them even moister and extended their life significantly.

JeffS

First time making this. Hard to know how long to bake. I think I was a little quick to remove based on the recipe warning. Next time, I'll let it get a little brown on the bottom. White icing had good texture, but could use more flavor. Perhaps more vanilla or a little lemon juice would help. Not quite enough white frosting left for to start chocolate, so I had to make a little more. The chocolate frosting had good flavor but hard to get smooth. Next time I'll try thinning it more. Good 1st try.

Jen C

This recipe should be removed (or fixed). I should have read the comments, because these were destined for the garbage from the start:- the batter was gummy. Not like cookie batter. Gummy. - the batter was tasteless. The ratio of vanilla and salt is far too low.- the “cookies” spread too much, over browned on edges (yes my oven temp was accurately)- when cooled they tasted like a dry sponge. Nothing was going to salvage these. I’m just thankful I didn’t waste the effort on icing.

Ted Ray

Interesting recipe. I have found one, with video instructions, from a native Brooklynite, that I like somewhat better. Check it out here: https://youtu.be/8N8IUxqlPbU

agamaryland

Using real fondant, (pouring fondant, not rolled fondant) makes a huge difference in the taste of the icing. Mastering the Art 1st edition by Julia Child et al has a fondant recipe, but buying it is certainly easier. It's harder to find in small quantities, I know, but possibly easier in NYC. I buy a 50 pound quantity for about $30 and break it into smaller portions, very well wrapped and sealed, and it lasts for at least a year,( I've held it for years)

chbbrooklyn

I made these this morning and loved them because they came out big like a traditional b& w cookie!

Private notes are only visible to you.

Black-and-White Cookies Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is a black and white cookie made of? ›

Black-and-white cookies, half-and-half cookies, and half-moon cookies are similar round cookies iced or frosted in two colors, with one half vanilla and the other chocolate.

What's the big deal about black and white cookies? ›

Melissa Clark, a food columnist at the New York Times, states that these cookies aren't just a New York staple, they're a major part of Jewish culture. According to her, “Black-and-whites have been an entrenched part of the very robust Jewish cookie scene in New York City for a century.”

Do black and white cookies need to be refrigerated? ›

Storage Instructions

They will keep for up to 3 days, stored in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. If you'd like to make them ahead of time, it's better to freeze the cookies after baking. Making the batter and chilling it beforehand will not work.

Are black and white cookies Italian or Italian? ›

The lineage of the black-and-white cookie

These particular mini-cakes are thought to have been the invention of German immigrants in Glaser's Bake Shop in Manhattan. They sold well and spread. By the mid 1900's, the many Jewish bakeries had also begun to peddle these pastries.

What is the base of a black and white cookie? ›

While black and white cookies are flatter with a shortbread base and fondant icing, half-moon cookies are more dome-shaped and use a cake base with frosting. According to Eater, the history of these cookies gets even more complex.

What flavor is a black and white cookie? ›

Classic black and white cookies are a mainstay of New York City shops and bakeries. Bursting with vanilla flavor and boasting a super soft texture, these large cake-like cookies are topped with thick vanilla and chocolate icings.

Who is famous for black and white cookies? ›

The black-and-white cookie was apparently among the original recipes that Bavarian immigrants John and Justine Glaser used when they opened the bakery in 1902, according to grandson Herb Glaser, making their black and white at least as old as Hemstrought's half moon.

What country are black and white cookies from? ›

Black & white cookies are famous because they're such a quintessential New York dessert. It's believed that the cookie was invented at a Manhattan bakery called Glaser's, which was founded on the Upper East Side by Bavarian immigrants in 1902 and closed in 2018.

How much sugar is in a black-and-white cookie? ›

Region: US
ServingIngredientCalories
17.56 gramswhite sugar68
11.24 gramsegg16
12.29 gramsmilk6
0.11 gramvanilla0
7 more rows
Jan 25, 2016

What is another name for black and white cookies? ›

In New York City, where I come from, they are simply “Black and White” cookies. This makes sense to me. But in New England they are “Harlequins” and in the Midwest “Half Moons.” In Germany, and most of the rest of the world, they are “Amerikaners.”

How to keep black and white cookies fresh? ›

Storing: Keep frosted black and white cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Do black and white cookies freeze well? ›

Freezing black and white cookies: Place iced cookies on a baking sheet in the freezer for 1 hour to set. The wrap the cookie individually and store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to one month. You can also freeze un-iced cookies in an airtight container or bag for one month.

Are Oreos black and white? ›

Black and white Oreos are the same cookie, with the same filling, however the black Oreos have a chocolate wafer while the white Oreos have a vanilla wafer. This gives the cookies a slightly different flavor profile and texture.

What do Italians call their cookies? ›

The word biscotto, used in modern Italian to refer to a biscuit (or cookie) of any kind, originates from the Medieval Latin word biscoctus, meaning 'twice-cooked'.

What is a half chocolate half vanilla cookie called? ›

These cookies, also known as Half-Moon Cookies, are the best of both worlds. They're half way between a cake and a cookie. The icing is half chocolate and half vanilla.

Where do black and white cookies come from? ›

With more than a century-long tradition, Black and White cookies have as many stories as the city that birthed them. Their origin has been hotly debated, but one of the most popular is that they were created by an Austrian bakery in Upstate New York around the late 19th century.

What ethnicity are black and white cookies? ›

Black & white cookies are famous because they're such a quintessential New York dessert. It's believed that the cookie was invented at a Manhattan bakery called Glaser's, which was founded on the Upper East Side by Bavarian immigrants in 1902 and closed in 2018.

Are black and white cookies the same flavor? ›

Black & White Cookies are a soft, cakey cookie that clearly have vanilla and chocolate flavors on top, but they have a subtle lemon flavor and aroma to them as well. It's actually something I never noticed for years, until I started making them at home.

Do black and white cookies have nuts in them? ›

My take on a classy cookie that doesn't make you decide--get your vanilla AND chocolate frosting fix. A crisp shortbread cookie covered in a beautiful and striking glaze. Fancy enough for parties, or just a lazy afternoon with a tall glass of milk. Free of: gluten, dairy, egg, soy, peanut and tree nuts.

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