Red Velvet Black and White Cookies

Eating a black and white cookie is a science. Or an art.  Or one of those things that requires technique and skill and maybe even a bachelor's degree in cookie eating.

Man, I wish I had one of those.




Some people eat them haphazardly, not really noticing whether they're eating the vanilla or the chocolate side.  Sometimes getting a little of both at once.


I don't know how you guys feel about this. But to me.  That just seems wrong.


See, here's what I do.  First, I eat the chocolate side.  Because I like it less.  Don't get me wrong.  It's chocolate-y and beautiful and if you're more of a chocolate person than a vanilla person, you probably want to do the opposite because, really, it's glorious.  But I am who I am. 

And who I am is a girl who really loves her vanilla glaze.


So then when I have eaten every last bit of chocolate, even nibbling up to the line in the middle while still doing my best not to cross any vanilla-filled boundaries,.  (Yeah, I have issues.  Apparently black-and-white cookies bring them out in me.  I'm sure my mother has something to do with this.) 


I can sit back, relax, and enjoy.  Life. Is. Good.


(Now I know you're looking at that bitten cookie up there, with that bite that includes both vanilla and chocolate. And thinking.  Sacrilege!  Heresy!  Off with her head! And well.  Look, there are just some things that we, as food bloggers, need to do for aesthetic and political reasons.  You can rest assured that I never let it happen again and that all of the cookies I ate afterward were ingested using the true and proper method described above.  Amen.)




With all of this red velvet in the mix, you may be thinking that these are a week late and a dollar short.

Well, I am here to alert you that this is not true.  Especially not here in NYC where, not only does no one ever sleep, but we also never tire of eating black and white cookies (and we were also kind of a little scared that Amy would disown us if we posted anything red and cutesy on V-Day).  They are staples, my friend.  Staples. 

Some of you may never have had them before.  Some of you may have only had those little mini versions from Costco.  (And you're calling me the heretic?  Sheesh.)  Those do not hold a candle to the real deal.  So just, you know.  Don't judge a cookie by it's Costco counterpart. 

Deal?



Red Velvet Black and White Cookies
Makes 10-12, adapted from Rachael Ray

1 1/4 cup AP flour
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
5 tbsp butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk
a pinch of red food gel coloring

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or grease and flour them REALLY WELL so that the cookies don't stick.  These are super cake-y so they will stick.  Every chance they get.  Be wary.

2. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking soda.

3. Using a mixer, cream 5 tbsp butter with the sugar until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla.  Beat in the flour mixture alternating with the buttermilk until smooth.  Dip the back of a spoon into your red food gel and then dip it into your batter.  Mix until evenly distributed.  Add more until you get the red color that you desire.

4. Place 1/4 cup scoops of batter about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Using a butter knife, spread the batter so that they are still quite thick but are flat on top.  THIS IS CRUCIAL.  If these are too thin, they will fall apart when you are trying to put icing on them.  Because they are cake-y they are ONLY sturdy if they are thick and they will spread quite a bit, I promise.  So just be careful.  Bake until a toothpick inserted comes out dry, about 12-15 minutes.  Let sit for 5 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack.

Vanilla Glaze
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tbsp light corn syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1-2 tbsp hot water

Whisk together the powdered sugar, vanilla, corn syrup, and hot water until smooth.  When the cookies are cool, face them bottom side up and spread half of the cookie with vanilla glaze.  You can do this with a butter knife.

Chocolate Glaze
4 oz semi-sweet chocolate (use Hershey's.  I used really good chocolate and it just tasted too good, if you know what I mean)
3 tbsp butter
1 tbsp light corn syrup

In a bowl, melt the butter and chocolate in the microwave for about 1 minute or until melted.  Add the corn syrup and stir until smooth.

Spread this over the second half of the cookies (use a spoon).  Refrigerate/freeze for 20 minutes to set. 

I am submitting this to Saturdays with Rachael Ray, hosted by Deborah over at Taste and Tell!