Black and Whites

These dolls are one of my favorite things to come out of my kitchen...meaning...they are one of my favorite things to eat! It took me a few tries to get this recipe right. I had to combine two different recipes, one for the cookie and one for the frostings. Now I've got it right!

Some people like black and whites with a runny icing rather than a thick frosting. My favorite black and white cookie comes from Modern Pastry in the North End of Boston. Their cookies are vanilla, topped with thick frostings. I believe there is some controversy of where the black and white originated. Some say New York. Some say Boston. Some say New Jersey. I don't really care. I'm just glad someone started this.

The cookie part of this recipe comes from Gourmet magazine back in 2002. These cookies are light and fluffy.

The frosting recipes come from Hemstrought's Bakery in Utica, New York. They claim to be the first to make the black and white cookie. I don't like the cookie part of this because it is chocolate (did I really just type that?!?!). I prefer my black and white to have a vanilla cookie.

**Angels and Airwaves, Everything's Magic** "Just sit back and hold on but hold on tight. Prepare for the best and the fastest ride. "

Sweet Cheeks Revised Black and White Cookie
Source: Gourmet Magazine and Hemstought's Bakery
Yield: 8 cookies (although you will have frosting left over)

For cookies
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup well-shaken buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup (5 1/3 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg

Chocolate Frosting:
1 1/2 oz. bittersweet chocolate
1 1/2 oz. semisweet chocolate
1 tbsp. butter
2 heaping cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 tbsp. corn syrup
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Pinch salt

Buttercream Frosting:
3.5 cups confectioners’ sugar
8 tbsp. room temperature butter, cut into pieces
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
4 tbsp. milk
1/2 tbsp. vanilla extract
Pinch salt

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Stir together buttermilk and vanilla in a cup.

Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes, then add egg, beating until combined well. Mix in flour mixture and buttermilk mixture alternately in batches at low speed (scraping down side of bowl occasionally), beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix until smooth.

Spoon 1/4 cups of batter about 2 inches apart onto a buttered large baking sheet. Bake in middle of oven until tops are puffed and pale golden, and cookies spring back when touched, 15 to 17 minutes. Transfer with a metal spatula to a rack and chill (to cool quickly), about 5 minutes.

FOR THE FUDGE ICING:
Melt bittersweet and semisweet chocolates and butter in the top of a double boiler over simmering water over medium heat. Add confectioners’ sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, salt, and 3 tbsp. boiling water and mix to a smooth, stiff paste with a rubber spatula. Thin icing with up to 4 tbsp. more boiling water. Icing should fall from a spoon in thick ribbons. Keep icing warm in a double boiler over low heat.

FOR THE BUTTERCREAM ICING:
Put sugar, butter, shortening, milk, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of a standing mixer. Beat on low speed to mix, then increase to medium and beat until light and fluffy.

TO FROST THE COOKIES:
Using a metal spatula, spread about 1 tbsp. of warm fudge icing on half of the flat side of each cookie. Spread the other half of each cookie with 1 heaping tbsp. buttercream icing.