Black and white cookies, sometimes called half-and-half cookies, are a beloved bakery treat with a distinctive two-tone appearance. These cookies consist of a vanilla cake base topped with both vanilla and chocolate icing on opposite halves of the cookie. This creates a striking color contrast that gives the cookies their name. While simple in concept, black and white cookies have a rich history and cultural significance, especially in New York City where they originated. Their popularity endures today both in bakeries and homemade recipes.
What are the origins and history of black and white cookies?
Black and white cookies are believed to have originated in New York City bakeries in the early 20th century. The exact bakery that invented them is unknown, though some accounts credit Glaser’s Bake Shop on the Upper East Side as potentially developing the first version in the 1902.
The striking appearance of the cookie, with its cake base neatly divided into dark and light halves, made them an eye-catching treat. As they gained popularity in New York bakeries through the 1910s and 1920s, they became ingrained in the city’s food culture. They were a perfect accompaniment to coffee and captured New York’s bold spirit in their contrasting flavors and colors.
Early popularity
As black and white cookies spread through the city’s bakeries, they drew famous fans. Author F. Scott Fitzgerald reportedly loved them. The cookies gained more literary mentions and made appearances in newspaper articles and ads over the 1920s and 30s.
The treat had several different names early on, sometimes being called half-and-half cookies, Harlem moon drops, or Interracial cookies. But the “black and white” moniker ultimately stuck. By the 1950s, they had become indelibly linked with New York City bakeries and delis.
Cultural significance
Black and white cookies came to hold cultural meaning beyond just being a tasty dessert. In the early 20th century, their contrasting chocolate and vanilla halves were seen as representing harmony between black and white New Yorkers.
The cookies symbolized unity during the Civil Rights era as well. When New York hotels began integrating in the late 1950s, black and white cookies were often served as a gesture of goodwill. The cookies’ balance of flavors came to represent racial harmony.
They also frequently appeared as a shorthand for New York City itself. Black and white cookies became an iconic Big Apple treat like Egg Creams and Cheese Bagels.
What are the ingredients in black and white cookies?
Black and white cookies have a simple ingredients list that belies their complex flavor and texture interplay. They contain just a few components:
Cookie base
- All-purpose flour
- Butter
- Granulated sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Milk
The cookie base is chemically leavened with baking powder and enriched with butter and eggs. Milk also adds flavor and moisture.
Icings
- Confectioner’s sugar
- Corn syrup
- Vanilla extract
- Unsweetened chocolate (for dark icing)
The icings use confectioner’s sugar for structure and corn syrup to add gloss and stickiness. Vanilla extract flavors the white icing, while unsweetened chocolate gives the dark icing intense color and flavor.
How are black and white cookies made?
Making black and white cookies takes some effort but follows basic cake and icing techniques:
Making the cookie base
1. Cream together the butter and sugar.
2. Add in the eggs, vanilla, and milk.
3. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix to form a dough.
5. Chill the dough for at least an hour.
6. Roll the dough to 1/4 inch thickness on a floured surface. Cut into circles using a cookie cutter.
7. Bake at 350°F for 7-10 minutes.
Making the icings
For the white vanilla icing:
1. Beat together confectioner’s sugar, corn syrup, milk or cream, and vanilla extract until smooth.
For the dark chocolate icing:
1. Combine confectioner’s sugar, corn syrup, unsweetened cocoa powder, milk or cream, and vanilla extract.
2. Once the cookies have cooled, spread the vanilla icing on one half and the chocolate icing on the other half.
Finishing touches
Some final tips for black and white cookies:
– Chill the iced cookies to help set the icing before serving.
– Dust with additional confectioner’s sugar for decoration.
– Cover with plastic wrap overnight to seal in freshness.
– Store for 2-3 days at room temperature.
What are some key facts about black and white cookies?
| Attribute | Facts |
|---|---|
| Origins | Developed in New York City in the early 1900s |
| Ingredients | Base of cake-like cookie dough; vanilla and chocolate icing |
| Flavors | Vanilla and chocolate |
| Texture | Chewy cookie base; soft, creamy icings |
| Color | Split evenly into white and dark brown halves |
| Shape | Round with flat bottom |
| Size | 3-4 inches across |
| Cultural significance | Symbol of New York City; originally promoted racial harmony |
| Shelf life | 2-3 days at room temperature |
What variations exist of black and white cookies?
While the original version remains beloved, many creative variations of black and white cookies have emerged:
Inverted black and white cookies
In this version, the dark chocolate icing covers the top of the cookie while the vanilla icing coats the bottom.
Rainbow or confetti cookies
The chocolate icing is replaced with colorful icings like pink, yellow, green, orange, and more.
Neapolitan cookies
Includes the classic flavors of neapolitan ice cream with chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry icing.
Seasonal designs
Icings are tinted and decorated for holidays. Green icing is swapped in for St. Patrick’s Day while orange and black is used for Halloween.
Flavored icings
Lemon, caramel, mocha, pistachio, and other flavors can be used instead of just chocolate and vanilla.
Marbled effect
The icings are swirled together instead of remaining in distinct halves.
Shaped cookies
The dough can be cut into fun shapes like hearts for Valentine’s Day or clovers for St. Patrick’s.
Mini cookies
A smaller, bite-sized version works well for dessert platters and gifts.
What are some tips for making great black and white cookies at home?
Black and white cookies can certainly be tackled by home bakers with a little care:
- Use room temperature ingredients for the cookie dough.
- Chill the dough thoroughly before rolling and cutting.
- Roll the dough evenly to 1/4 inch thickness.
- Cut shapes as close together as possible to minimize scraps.
- Bake on the middle rack until set but not browned.
- Cool the cookies completely before icing.
- Ice smoothly with an offset spatula.
- Add corn syrup to both icings for shine and stability.
- Refrigerate iced cookies before serving.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
With attention to detail, home bakers can create bakery-quality black and white cookies.
Where can you buy the best black and white cookies?
In New York City, many bakeries boast legendary black and white cookies. The original Glaser’s Bake Shop closed in 2018, but these bakeries carry on the tradition:
William Greenberg Desserts (Upper East Side)
With nearly a century of history, their soft cookies and perfectly balanced icings set the standard.
Eilenberger’s Bake Shop (Hells Kitchen)
A classic NYC bakery that has made excellent black and white cookies for over 60 years.
Ovenly (Greenpoint, Brooklyn)
This beloved bakery puts a creative spin on their black and whites with fun flavors.
Two Little Red Hens (Upper East Side)
Their version has homemade taste, with temptingly chewy cookie layers.
Mah-Ze-Dahr Bakery (Greenwich Village)
Upscale, Instagram-worthy black and white cookies in flavors like matcha.
What are some fun facts about New York City’s black and white cookies?
Beyond just being tasty treats, black and white cookies reveal some fascinating history about New York City:
- They were served at the famous Automat restaurants that once dotted Manhattan.
- Layers in sedimentary rocks found in Central Park resemble black and white cookies according to geologists.
- A 50-foot wide black and white cookie was once depicted in a Harper’s Bazaar fashion spread in the 1960s.
- Chocolate icing was likely not initially used due to World War II rationing of cocoa beans.
- Sesame Street’s Cookie Monster sings an ode to black and white cookies in a Sesame Street classic skit.
- They’ve been featured in movies and TV shows set in New York like Mad Men, Broad City, and Law & Order.
The iconic treats have even inspired artwork, songs, and poetry over the decades. They are forever intertwined with New York City history and culture.
Conclusion
Simple yet striking, black and white cookies have become an enduring symbol of New York City. Their contrasting flavors and appearance make them a dessert unlike any other. While many bakeries offer tempting versions, nothing quite compares to savoring a black and white cookie on the streets of New York. Their rich history reveals how a bakery treat evolved into a cultural icon that connects past and present in each delicious bite. So next time you visit New York City, save room for one of its most cherished edible souvenirs.