Black-and-White Cookie—New York's Two-Tone Biscuit
A soft cookie somewhere between cake and cookie, as big as a hand, iced half with white sugar icing and half with chocolate. The comforting and iconic snack of New York streets.
A soft cookie somewhere between cake and cookie, as big as a hand, iced half with white sugar icing and half with chocolate. The comforting and iconic snack of New York streets.
If you're looking for the taste of my New York childhood, here it is: the black-and-white. Half white, half black—and believe me, I know what it means to have to choose a side. Except with this cookie, you don't have to choose: you bite right in the middle, and you get both at once. I used to buy it at the corner deli, still a little sticky with icing, and eat it on the sidewalk watching the city rush by.
- •Flour — a good amount (cookie base)
- •Butter, sugar, eggs — generous amounts (soft dough)
- •Milk, vanilla — a little (flavor, texture)
- •Powdered sugar — for icing (white half)
- •Chocolate — for icing (dark half)
Black-and-White Cookie—New York's Two-Tone Biscuit
A soft cookie somewhere between cake and cookie, as big as a hand, iced half with white sugar icing and half with chocolate. The comforting and iconic snack of New York streets.
Why this dish? Originally from Brooklyn and New York culture, Alyssa Milano shares with her hometown this sweet emblem: the soft cookie half-iced with vanilla and half with chocolate, sold in every New York deli.
If you're looking for the taste of my New York childhood, here it is: the black-and-white. Half white, half black—and believe me, I know what it means to have to choose a side. Except with this cookie, you don't have to choose: you bite right in the middle, and you get both at once. I used to buy it at the corner deli, still a little sticky with icing, and eat it on the sidewalk watching the city rush by.
Ingredients (period version)
- Flour — a good amount (cookie base)
- Butter, sugar, eggs — generous amounts (soft dough)
- Milk, vanilla — a little (flavor, texture)
- Powdered sugar — for icing (white half)
- Chocolate — for icing (dark half)
Ingredients
- Flour — 250 g (base)
- Softened butter — 100 g (softness)
- Sugar — 150 g (sweetness)
- Eggs — 2 (binder)
- Milk — 100 ml (texture)
- Vanilla extract — 1 tsp (flavor)
- Baking powder — 1/2 packet (about 8 g) (leavening)
- Powdered sugar — 200 g (white icing)
- Dark chocolate — 80 g, melted (dark icing)
Method
- Cream softened butter with sugar, add eggs, milk, and vanilla.
- Fold in flour and baking powder to form a thick batter.
- Drop large rounds onto a baking sheet and bake at 180°C for 12-15 minutes; let cool.
- Make white icing by mixing powdered sugar with a little water; ice one half of each cookie (flat side up).
- Mix remaining icing with melted chocolate and ice the other half. Let set.
How it was made : The black-and-white cookie has been a specialty of New York bakeries and delis since the early 20th century, popularized by immigrant communities. Iced on the flat side (not the domed), it is eaten by hand, standing up—a classic of New York sweet street food.
The contemporary twist : Present it as a wink: "no need to choose a side," perfect for a snack that brings everyone together.
Sources : Molly O'Neill, New York Cookbook (1992) · Smithsonian Magazine, articles sur l'histoire du black-and-white cookie
Alyssa Milano · Charactorium