Charles Darwin developed his theory of evolution largely by observing the Galapagos Islands. Cut off from each other, each species evolved to to adapt to the particular landscape of the island they lived on. Today, he could easily have come to the same conclusion by living in New York City. The island of Manhattan is a ecosystem unto itself. While means of escaping to other environments exist, Manhattan-ites will rarely enter another borough except under duress. While Brooklyn has recently become an acceptable place to dine or drink, good luck enticing anyone to come to Queens or (gasp) New Jersey except for the most important of life occasions.
This reluctance to cross the Hudson and East rivers has led to inhabitants of Manhattan to develop an array of cultural quirks. Distance is measured not in units of miles or kilometers but in blocks. The well known landmarks are left to the tourists while the best best places to eat, drink and shop are closely guarded secrets from mainstream America and even each other. And while the cronut is the sweet of choice for those with the grit to brave 3 a.m. lines and willingness to pay $6 apiece for a croissant/donut chimera, the black and white cookie is the choice of the proletariat. Immortalized by Seinfeld, it is found in every street corner deli and bodega throughout the city. Bigger than your hand, it is more mini cake than cookie, with a thick lemon flavored layer of two tone icing on top. It is often meal replacement and/or hangover cure. Yet it is found nowhere else. Even just across the river, while gazing at the Empire State Building, it would be easier to spot the jersey devil than a black and white cookie. Luckily for those living west of the Hudson, they are very easy to make.
ingredients for cookies:
adapted from the Gourmet cookie book
- 1 & 1/4 c. flour
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/3 c. buttermilk
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 7 tbl. unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 c. sugar
- 1 large egg
ingredients for icing:
- 2 & 3/4 c. confectioner’s sugar
- 2 tbl. light corn syrup
- 2 tsp. lemon juice
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 4 to 6 tbl. water
- 1/4 c. cocoa powder
Preheat oven to 350°. Butter your baking sheets and set aside. Whisk flour, baking soda and salt together in a bowl. Mix buttermilk and vanilla together in a cup. Set both aside. Beat butter and sugar together in an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg and beat until well combined. Turn mixer to low. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture, then 1/2 the buttermilk. Repeat, then add the last 1/3 of flour.
Use a piping bag with a 1/2″ round tip or a teaspoon to make small rounds(about the size of a cotton ball) onto the baking sheets, leaving room for the cookies to spread. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes, until the edges start to turn brown. Remove baking sheet from oven and place on a wire rack. Let cookies cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to the wire rack to cool completely.
When cookies have cooled, make the icing. Whisk together confectioner’s sugar, corn syrup, lemon juice, vanilla and 3 tbl. water in a bowl. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time and whisk until icing is spreadable but not too thin. Transfer half the icing to a new bowl. Whisk in cocoa powder, adding 1 to 2 more tablespoons of water to make smooth and spreadable.
Use an offset spatula to spread the white icing onto the bottom side of half of the cookies. I used the spatula to draw a thick line in the center of the cookie with the icing, then spread it to the edges. Ice all the cookies and let dry. Repeat with the chocolate icing on the other half of the cookies.
