Classic Black & Whites
Submitted by forlani
Classic New York black and white cookies: soft cake-like rounds half-frosted with vanilla fondant and half with chocolate. Bakery-style recipe with traditional warm fondant icing.
YIELD
36 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
18 minREADY
60 minThe iconic New York deli cookie, a soft, cake-textured round bigger than your palm with one half glazed in vanilla fondant and the other in chocolate. Despite the name, these aren’t really cookies in the chewy sense; they’re more like hand-sized cake discs with a smooth fondant top. Eating one is a small ritual: alternate bites, vanilla then chocolate, until the line in the middle disappears.
The batter spreads dramatically in the oven, which is why the directions warn against more than four per sheet. Crowd them and you end up with one giant misshapen cookie instead of neat rounds. Use a measuring cup to portion exactly ⅓ cup so they all bake at the same rate.
The fondant icing is what separates a homemade attempt from a true bakery black and white. Cooking the powdered sugar, water, and corn syrup to 100°F (38°C) gives you the glossy, set-but-tender finish that hardens slightly without ever turning crunchy. Work fast; the icing thickens as it cools.
Pro Tips
- Frost the bottom (flat) side of each cookie, not the rounded top; that’s the traditional bakery method and gives a smoother surface.
- If the fondant gets too thick to spread, reheat gently over a double boiler with a teaspoon of water.
- Hold each cookie over the bowl while frosting to catch drips and reuse the fondant.
- Let the vanilla half set fully before adding the chocolate half so the colors stay clean.
Variations
- Add 1 teaspoon lemon zest to the batter; the original deli version has a subtle lemon note.
- Use dark chocolate for a more intense chocolate side.
- Top each cookie’s chocolate half with a flake of sea salt right after icing.
Ingredients
Directions
In a large mixing bowl, cream together sugar and solid white shortening until light and fuffy.
Stir in dry milk solids and corn syrup.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
In a separate bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt.
Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture alternately with the water, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.
Stir in vanilla.
Scoop out ⅓ cup of batter and place it on a greased and floured baking sheet.
Smooth out to 3½-inch circle.
Batter will spread considerably so do not bake more than four on one cookie sheet at a time.
Bake in 350℉ (180℃) F oven 18 minutes or until lightly browned.
Cool on cake rack.
Frost half of cookie with chocolate fondant and half with vanilla.
Hold cookie over bowl while frosting.
Work quickly while fondant is warm.
FONDANT ICING In a large saucepan combine water, confectioners’ sugar, corn syrup and vanilla.
Using a candy thermometer, cook mixture over medium heat until it reaches 100 degrees.
Comments