Black and White Cookies CI

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http://www.cooksillustrated.com/recipes/5397-black-and-white-cookies?incode=MCSBZ00L0
BLACK AND WHITE COOKIES
From Baking Illustrated
& Brown Eyed Baker
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
Our biggest departure from most black and white cookie recipes was a switch to all cake flour—we liked that it gave the cookies a tender, moist crumb that was delicate yet sturdy enough to stand up to icing. We also determined that we needed to reduce the amount of egg to two whole eggs and add a small amount of baking powder to give the cookies nice rise. We needed both a “black” and a “white” confectioners’ sugar icing for our black and white cookie recipe—we found we could make a single batch of vanilla icing, divide it in half, and mix half of it with melted unsweetened chocolate to make a “black” icing that actually tasted like chocolate.

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MAKES 26 LARGE COOKIES, ABOUT 3 1/2 INCHES IN DIAMETER

Use lemon extract, or, in a pinch, fresh lemon juice, to flavor these cookies. Avoid buying “lemon flavor,” which is lemon oil diluted in canola oil.

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Ingredients

  • Vanilla:
  • INGREDIENTS
  • Cookies
  • 4 cups (16 ounces) plain cake flour- 1 cup = 108-114 gms, 4 cups = 432-456 gms
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened but still cool
  • (1 3/4 cups) (12 1/4 ounces) granulated sugar - use 1 1/2 cups instead
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • (1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract) - use 1 1/4 tsp double strength instead
  • (1/4 teaspoon lemon extract) - use 1/4 tsp lemon oil instead
  • 1 cup milk
  • Icings - use King Arthur instead
  • 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped fine
  • 1/4 cup light corn syrup
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 5 cup (20 ounces) confectioners' sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • King Arthur Icing-

Preparation

Step 1

Draw 3" circles on parchment, use large scoop, yield (19) 4" cookies
INSTRUCTIONS
1. FOR THE COOKIES: Adjust the oven racks to the lower- and upper-middle positions and heat the oven to 375 degrees.
Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or spray them with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl; set aside.

3. Either by hand or with an electric mixer, beat the butter at medium speed until creamy, about 30 seconds.
Gradually beat in the sugar, increasing the speed to medium high, until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
Add the eggs, vanilla, and lemon extract and beat at medium speed until combined, about 30 seconds.
Again, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
Beginning and ending with the flour mixture, alternately add the flour mixture in 4 additions and the milk in 3 additions at low speed until just combined.

4. Using a ¼-cup dry measure and a soup spoon, place six ¼ cup-mounds of dough a generous 2 inches apart on each baking sheet.
With moistened fingers, gently press each mound of dough into a disk 2½ inches wide and 3/8" thick.
Bake until the centers of the cookies are firm and the edges are just beginning to turn light golden brown, about 12 - 14 minutes, rotating the baking sheets front to back and top to bottom halfway through the baking time.
Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 2 minutes.
Using a wide metal spatula, transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Repeat with the remaining dough.

5. FOR THE ICINGS: Melt the chocolate in a medium bowl set over a saucepan of almost-simmering water. Remove from the heat and set aside. Bring the corn syrup and the water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla until combined. Transfer ¾ cup of the vanilla icing to the bowl with the melted chocolate and stir to combine.

6. TO GLAZE THE COOKIES:
Place 2 or 3 large wire racks on top of parchment or waxed paper.
Using a small offset metal spatula, spread about 2 tablespoons of the vanilla icing on half of each cookie.
Tilt the cookie and run the spatula around the edge of the cookie to scrape off excess icing.
Place the cookies on the wire rack and allow the icing to harden, about 15 minutes.
If the vanilla icing begins to thicken, stir in hot water, teaspoon by teaspoon, until the icing is fluid enough to coat the cookies.
Alternatively, if the icing is too thin and runny, whisk in additional confectioners’ sugar, teaspoon by teaspoon, until the proper consistency is attained.
Using the spatula, spread the chocolate icing on the other half of each cookie, tilting the cookie downward and scraping away excess icing.
If the chocolate icing thickens and cools, reheat it over a water bath until it is fluid enough to coat the cookies.
If the icing is still too thick, stir in hot water, teaspoon by teaspoon, until the proper fluidity is reached.
Place the cookies on the wire rack and allow the icings to harden, at least 1 hour.
The cookies may be stored at room temperature in an airtight container, layered between sheets of parchment paper, for up to 3 days.

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