Black and White Cookies

Prep 35 min
Total 4 hr 40 min
Servings 12

The iconic deli cookie of New York is coming to your kitchen. That’s right, you can bake perfect Black and Whites with this recipe. Soft, cakey and a tiny bit tangy (we use lemon extract and buttermilk), these cookies are perfectly complemented by their sweet half-chocolate, half-white icing. That icing also gives them a pretty, glossy look—these could hold their own in any deli case—and just like the store-bought ones, they’re oversized (each cookie uses 1/4 cup of dough!). So, bake up a batch of these, and you’ll be able to satisfy the most voracious of cookie monsters! MORE+ LESS-

By Betty Crocker Kitchens

Updated November 14, 2019

Make with

Gold Medal Flour

Ingredients

Cookies

2 1/4

cups Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour

teaspoon baking powder

1/2

teaspoon baking soda

1/2

teaspoon salt

1/2

cup butter, softened

cup granulated sugar

egg

teaspoon vanilla

1/2

teaspoon lemon extract

1/3

cup buttermilk

Icing

1/3

cup butter

cups powdered sugar

to 3 tablespoons hot water

tablespoon Hershey's Special Dark cocoa

to 4 teaspoons hot water

Steps

Hide Images

1

Heat oven to 350°F. In medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.
2

In large bowl, beat 1/2 cup softened butter and the granulated sugar with electric mixer on medium speed about 1 minute or until fluffy; scrape side of bowl. Beat in egg, vanilla and lemon extract just until smooth. Beat in buttermilk. On low speed, gradually beat flour mixture into butter mixture until well blended. Drop dough by level 1/4 cupfuls on large ungreased cookie sheets 3 inches apart.
3

Bake 13 to 15 minutes or until edges are set. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheets to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
4

In 2-quart saucepan, melt 1/3 cup butter over low heat; remove from heat. Stir in powdered sugar. Stir in hot water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until icing is smooth and has the consistency of thick syrup.
5

Place waxed paper or cooking parchment paper under cooling racks. Spread a generous teaspoon of vanilla icing on half of each cookie. To remaining icing, stir in cocoa until blended. Stir in hot water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until icing is smooth and has the consistency of thick syrup. Spread a generous teaspoon of chocolate icing over remaining uncovered half of each cookie. Let stand about 3 hours or until set. Store covered in airtight container with waxed paper between layers.

Expert Tips

Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa is what gives the chocolate icing its deep flavor and color. Hershey’s natural cocoa will also work, though the icing will not be as dark.
Using a cookie scoop makes quick work of dropping the cookie dough. It also ensures cookies will be the same size and bake up in the same amount of time. Use a #16 cookie scoop or a 1/4-cup measuring cup to portion out the dough.
For best results, bake cookies on the middle oven rack. For even baking, it's best to bake one sheet at a time.
The easiest way to ice these cookies is to hold one in the palm of your hand over the bowl, and spread half of the cookie with icing. This way, the excess drips back into the bowl, and there’s no waste.
The best way to measure flour is to first stir the flour a bit before spooning into the measuring cup. Fill until heaping, and then sweep the excess off the top with the flat edge of a butter knife.
This recipe uses 1/3 cup buttermilk. If you don’t have any on hand, you can make a substitute by combining 1 teaspoon lemon juice or vinegar, plus enough milk to equal 1/3 cup. Stir to blend.

Nutrition Information

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 Cookie

Calories: 360
Calories from Fat: 120

% Daily Value

Total Fat: 14g; 21%
Saturated Fat 8g 42% Trans Fat 1/2g
Cholesterol: 50mg; 17%
Sodium: 310mg; 13%
Potassium: 55mg; 2%
Total Carbohydrate: 55g; 18%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4% Sugars 37g
Protein: 3g

% Daily Value*:

Vitamin A: 8%; 8%
Vitamin C: 0%; 0%
Calcium: 4%; 4%
Iron: 8%; 8%

Exchanges:

1 Starch; 0 Fruit; 2 1/2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 0 Low-Fat Milk; 0 Milk; 0 Vegetable; 0 Very Lean Meat; 0 Lean Meat; 0 High-Fat Meat; 2 1/2 Fat;