I have just made one of my favorite (tempted to say favorite, but in cookie language, that's pretty difficult) cookies of all time. It's definitely in the upper half of the top 5 on my list.
I wasn't planning on making cookies this morning. But after receiving an exciting phone call, with my first phone interview, asking me to come in for a second interview tomorrow, I almost entered in freak-out mode. I needed two things to calm me down: 1) a phone call from Gustavo reminding me that this was not a life or death situation; and 2) to bake a batch of cookies. However, as I mentioned in my last post, due to dieting there are no cookie-ingredients to be found in my house, besides a huge, unopened hershey's milk chocolate bar, one I bought on sale a few months ago at the grocery store thinking I might be able to find something to bake it into, but I haven't. Luckily, I did have the basic ingredients the black and white cookies recipe calls for.
After baking the cookies, I was still a bit on edge and needed number three: to talk with my mom. See, I've never been to an interview before. The only real job I've had was a hostess position at a Mexican restaurant in Washington D.C. The interview went like this: my dad took me down to American University in fall of 2006 to move into my dorm. After unpacking and meeting my less than good-natured roommate who would later become my ex-roommate, we decided to go to lunch at Guapo's. It was one of those crazy things that happened quite fast. We finished our lunch (I had probably ordered quesadillas or something of the like), and I noticed a sign in the window stating they needed to hire hostesses. Right then and there I decided to talk with Mauricio, a stern-faced Colombian. After a quick conversation in spanish, he said simply, you're hired. No resumé necessary.
a
During that semester I proceeded to work almost-40-hour weeks, which actually was the highlight of my time in DC. I was told not to come back to work after going home for Thanksgiving break (a few days), because I was taking too much time off. Time and time again they would put up the "need for hostesses" sign in the window, showing how disposable we were. But I loved it; I enjoyed eating fresh flour tortillas at my hostess stand, or chatting with the other hostesses and waiters. I can still remember what my Guapo's shirt would smell like at the end of the shift, after having cleaned all the menus from the chips and salsa the customers were given before their meal, and that they had spilled all over the menu.
a
P.S. Someone finally told Mauricio that it was not acceptable in our country to put "need for hostesses" and that it was discriminatory; he would need to put host or hostess.
Things I absolutely adore about black and white cookies (in no particular order):
- They are as cake-like as cookies get
- If your undecided about whether you want vanilla or chocolate, no worries, you get both! (Although I've always been particularly partial to the vanilla side, it would be boring without chocolate)
- As with any cookie, they are what I like to call providers of instant gratification; they take a short amount of time to prepare, which is also fun time for me, and are delicious to eat (although later may come eater's remorse, it's worth it)
- The crumb is fluffy and light with a melt-in-your mouth yummy aftertaste
- For those New York fans, this is a typical New Yorker cookie
Black and white cookies
Adapted from Ready for dessert: my best recipes by David Lebovitz
Ingredients
Cookies:
2 cups all-purpose flour (may substitute 1 cup for cake flour if your all-purpose flour has high protein)
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
6 TBSP milk (not nonfat)
1 tsp vanilla extract
Grated zest of ½ a lemon (our lemons here look like spherical green limes)
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
⅔ cup sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
Icings:
2 cups powdered sugar
4 tsp light corn syrup, divided
½ tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 TBSP water, or more if needed
3 TBSP unsweetened cocoa powder
Preheat the oven to 375F; if you have 2 racks, place one in the upper third of the oven, and the other in the lower third. If you only have one rack like me, place it in the middle.
Prepare two baking sheets by lining them with parchment.
To make the cookies: In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In another small bowl, whisk together the milk, 1 tsp vanilla, and lemon zest. Set aside.
In your stand mixer (fitted with paddle attachment), hand mixer, or by hand, beat together the butter and sugar on medium speed. It should be smooth but will still be slightly grainy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Mix in, on a lower speed, half of the flour mixture. Then mix in the entire milk mixture. Finish by mixing in the remainder of the flour mixture, and then beating until the batter is smooth and fluffy.
To make medium-sized cookies, drop 2 TBSP of batter into mounds spaced 2-3 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheets. If you wish to make larger cookies, space them farther apart (they spread a bit).
If baking with two racks in the oven, bake for about 15 minutes, rotating the cookie sheets from the upper to lower rack and vice versa halfway through the baking process. If you are baking with one rack in the middle, the cookies will probably be done after about 12 minutes. Take them out of the oven when the cookies feel just set in the centers and are light golden on the underside. Let cool on the baking sheets.
To make the icings: In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar with 2 tsp corn syrup, the lemon juice, 1 tsp vanilla, and 3 TBSP water until smooth. Transfer half of the white icing to another bowl; whisk in the cocoa and 2 tsp corn syrup. Add up to 2 tsp more water if necessary so that it's more spreadable. The two icings should have the same consistency; thick but spreadable.
Using a small spatula or knife, spread white icing over one half of each cooled cookie, followed by the "black" icing on the other half.
Tip: After baking, don't throw away the parchment right away. Use the lined baking sheets to place the iced cookies for easy cleanup.
Note: I have also made these using a recipe from Gourmet, while it doesn't make as many cookies, they are equally as good. However, the icings got poor reviews, so if you're going to use this recipe, I recommend using the one I'm posting here.
:) I like this! I want some!
Look:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlLPAIrmqvE
Posted by: Gustavo Segura | 09/21/2010 at 08:22 PM
Remember you tried them once?
Posted by: Sarah | 09/21/2010 at 09:21 PM