Black and White Cookies

*from the archives*

Black and White Cookies fly under my radar.  I never think of them until I am in a bakery and I see one, fresh and plump, staring me in the face.

They remind me of a cake, but in cookie form.  They have their own consistency, their own personality.  They are also the kind of cookie that one of my munchkins sees and they MUST have it.

And so I buy them one and they eat 1/4 of it because its too big.  And then I eat the remaining 3/4 they didn't eat.

Which is why I bought the cookie in the first place.  I was banking on at least 1/2 of it coming my way.

Since the sun hasn't shined in four days I decided to bake my rainy sorrows away.  I saw a recipe for these cookies and I had to try them.

They are every bit as good as they look. 

Makes approx 10 cookies

1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup unsalted butter, soft
1 egg
1/3 cup buttermilk

Icing:
2 cups confectioner's sugar
3 tablespoons plus 2 tsp milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 tablespoons cocoa powder

Heat oven to 350.  Cover baking sheets with nonstick aluminum foil.

In medium bowl, combine first 3 ingredients.  Set aside.

In large bowl, blend butter and sugar until creamy.  About 1-2 minutes.

Beat in egg.  On low speed alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.

Drop dough by 1/4 cupfuls onto baking sheets, spacing approximately 3 inches apart.  Using spatula, gently spread each cookie into a circle (approximately 4 inches across). 

Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.  Check cookies at 10 minutes to make sure edges aren't browning.  These cookies taste best if they are light in color and soft in texture.

Crispy edges will be the demise of your cookies.

Allow cookies to cool thoroughly on wire racks.

Once cookies are cool, prepare icing:

In medium bowl, stir together sugar, 3 tablespoons milk and vanilla until smooth but thick enough to coat cookie.

Set aside 1/2 cup icing in small bowl.  Add cocoa powder and remaining milk and stir until smooth.

GENTLY ice cookies using spatula.  Using one flavor of icing, drag icing down one side of cookie.  Carefully coat the one side and make a straight line down center.  Repeat with other flavor on opposite side of cookie.

Once all cookies are frosted let them set on flat surface such as cookie sheet or wire racks for at least one hour.

Enjoy!