Summer Lessons (Part 1)

Some things I have learned this summer:

1. Never ever ever ever run through nettles…that story is for another day, but for now, just take my word for it.
2. The geniuses behind Disney-Pixar know exactly how to make me cry (Have you seen Toy Story 3? Or Up?? Or Wall-E!? Go see them and you will know what I mean).
3. The Midwest is missing out on some seriously amazing desserts.

Now allow me to elaborate on Lesson 3:

Okay first there were whoopie pies and my shocking discovery that almost none of my Midwestern buddies knew what the heck a whoopie pie was.

And then came along these black and white cookies.

First of all, I have always referred to these delicious treasures as half moons, but according to further research (thanks again Wikipedia!) that is just a regional, New England thing. But that is not the point I want to make. See, I always assumed that these yummy little things were all over the country. Apparently they are not. Once again, none of my Midwestern buddies grew up with them! Well it is time for an introduction. Midwest, this is black & white cookie, black & white cookie, this is the Midwest.

Now please enjoy the beauty that is the black and white (half moon!) cookie: soft, cakey vanilla cookies with a vanilla glaze on one half and chocolate glaze on the other. I see them as the delicious, cookie version of a chocolate-vanilla twist soft serve ice cream cone, and come on, who doesn’t looooove that? It’s a double, twisted yum.

-EmW

Black & White Cookies (aka Half Moons)

(Adapted from JoyTheBaker)

For the cookies:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2/3 cup well-shaken buttermilk*

1 tsp vanilla extract

2/3 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

For the vanilla glaze:

2 cups powdered sugar

1 Tb light corn syrup

½ tsp vanilla extract

2 Tb hot water

For the chocolate glaze:

4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, roughly chopped

3 Tb unsalted butter

1 Tb light corn syrup

1. Make the cookies: Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Stir together buttermilk and vanilla in a cup.

2. Beat together butter and sugar in an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, beating until well combined. Mix in flour mixture and buttermilk/vanilla mixture alternately in batches at low speed, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Be sure to scrape down the bowl occasionally. Mix until smooth.

3. Spoon tablespoons of batter onto parchment lined baking sheet (be aware that these cookies spread quite a bit). Bake in middle of oven until tops are puffed and pale golden, and cookies spring back when touched, about 12 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and allow to cool completely.

4. Make the vanilla glaze: in a bowl whisk together the powdered sugar, vanilla, corn syrup and hot water, until smooth. If the glaze seems too thick, add a bit more water (but just a little bit! nobody wants a too thin glaze). The glaze needs to be thick enough to stay on the cookies.

5. Flip all the cookies over so they are bottom side up. Spread vanilla glaze on one half of the cookies. A slated spatula is very helpful at this step but not necessary by any means and a knife works just fine.

6. While the vanilla glaze sets, make the chocolate glaze: place the butter and chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat butter and chocolate in the microwave for about 1 minute and stir until all the chocolate is melted. Add the corn syrup, stirring again until nice and smooth. Spread other half of cookies with chocolate glaze. Allow glazes to set (if you are impatient just pop them in the fridge) and then feast on the beautiful chocolate-vanilla-yummminess you have just created.

*As I mentioned with the whoopie pies, there is no need to buy buttermilk if you don’t want to. Just add one tablespoon white vinegar per one cup milk, allow to sit for 10 minutes, stir it and voila, buttermilk!