Martha Stewart Black and White Cookies

Martha Stewart Black and White Cookies are soft, cake-like New York bakery cookies with vanilla and chocolate icing that come together in 1 hour 30 minutes. Save this easy dessert for bake sales, holiday cookie trays or potluck tables, because it's a make-ahead cookie that keeps well.

Chill the batter for a full hour before scooping, because that rest firms it up so the cookies bake into thick, even rounds. Skip it and the dough spreads thin and loses that soft, cakey bite.

Martha's version uses cake flour next to all-purpose, which gives the cookies a tender crumb closer to a little cake than a crisp cookie. The icing relies on corn syrup in the glaze, so it sets with a smooth, glossy finish and doesn't turn chalky.

Martha Stewart Black and White Cookies

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Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Medium

Servings

10

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

15

minutes

Calories

290

kcal

These are tender, flat cakes with a soft crumb, topped with a smooth vanilla glaze on one half and a rich chocolate glaze on the other. Once the icing sets, each cookie holds a glossy shine and a clean line down the middle.

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
  

• 1 cup cake flour (not self-rising)
  

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  

• 1/4 teaspoon salt
  

• 2 large eggs
  

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  

• 1/2 cup milk
  

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  

• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  

• 1/2 teaspoon pure lemon extract
  

• 2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
  

• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup, plus more if needed
  

• 1 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted
  

Directions

• Make the dough: Preheat the oven to 350°F, then sift 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 cup cake flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt together. Whisk the 2 eggs with 3/4 cup granulated sugar until smooth, then whisk in 1/2 cup milk, the melted butter, vanilla and lemon extract.
• Chill the dough: Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and stir until you have a smooth dough. Cover the bowl and chill it for 1 hour so it firms up enough to scoop.
• Scoop and bake: Line baking pans with nonstick baking mats, then drop five cookies per pan using a 2-ounce scoop, spaced 3 inches apart. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the edges are light brown.
• Cool the cookies: Move the cookies to a wire rack set over parchment paper. Let them cool completely, since warm cookies will melt the icing right off.
• Make the vanilla icing: Whisk 2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar, 3 tablespoons hot water and 2 tablespoons light corn syrup in a small bowl until smooth. Ice half of each cookie with a small offset spatula, then return the cookies to the rack to drip if needed.
• Add the chocolate icing: Stir the 1 1/2 ounces melted bittersweet chocolate into the remaining icing until smooth. If it feels too thick, add a little more corn syrup to loosen it.
• Finish and set: Spread the chocolate icing over the bare half of each cookie. Let the cookies set for about 10 minutes before serving.

Tools for this recipe

• OXO medium cookie scoop, Wilton 9-inch angled spatula, Checkered Chef cooling racks, Lindt Excellence 70% cocoa bars, 12 pack. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

Do I have to use the lemon extract?

No. When Martha made these cookies on her show, she left the lemon extract out, and the cookies still came out great. Using only vanilla gives a simpler, more classic bakery flavor.

Can I use a different chocolate for the icing?

Yes. On Martha Bakes she used semisweet chocolate at 61 percent instead of bittersweet, which gives a slightly sweeter chocolate side. Either one melts smoothly into the icing, so use whichever you have.

How do I store black and white cookies?

Let the icing set fully, then keep the cookies in a single layer in an airtight container at room temperature. They're best within 2 to 3 days, since the cakey crumb gets dry after that.

Can I make the dough ahead of time?

Yes, the dough already needs 1 hour in the fridge, so you can leave it covered a bit longer. Keep it chilled until you're ready to scoop, then bake as directed.

What's the most common mistake with these cookies?

Icing them while they're still warm is the usual problem, because the glaze melts and runs instead of setting. Cool the cookies completely on the rack first, and thin the icing with a little corn syrup if it's too stiff to spread.