They’re a New York City classic and a famous staple of the city’s bakeries and delis. The cookies stay soft thanks to cornstarch and sour cream, and they’re bursting with vanilla flavor and a subtle hint of lemon. Whenever I see them at a gathering, the black and white icing seems to suggest black-tie sophistication and that there’s surely something to celebrate. Don’t let black and white limit you though, these cookies are easy to jazz up for a holiday or themed party with colorful icing, sprinkles, or edible glitter.

Tips and Tricks for Baking Black and White Cookies

Black and white cookies may seem intimidating, but they’re easier than you think. Here are a few tips to ensure delicious cookies and professional-looking clean lines in the icing.

Use room temperature ingredients in the batter. When the ingredients are at the same temperature, they incorporate and emulsify better.Take the butter out of the refrigerator ahead of time. Don’t be tempted to heat the butter because if it melts too much, the cookies will spread more.For even cookies with a uniform, round shape, use a 1/4 cup (2 ounce) cookie scoop to portion them. Space them further apart on the baking trays than you normally would. If your pan usually fits 12 cookies, only place six cookies on a tray.Allow the cookies to cool completely before icing, or the icing will melt.Ice the flat undersides of the cookies, not the rounded tops.The best tool for spreading the icing is a small offset spatula. An offset spatula offers the precision you need to apply an even layer of icing with a sharp, straight line. If you don’t have an offset spatula, a butter knife will work almost as well.I find it easier to ice the cookies one color at a time, and chill them in between for the icing to set. Apply the white icing to half the cookie, then refrigerate the cookies for 15 minutes. Allowing the white icing to set before adding the black icing. It helps get a clean line and prevents the colors from running together.

How to Make Deep Black and Bright White Icing

If you want the white icing to be a brilliant white and the black icing to be pitch black, you can boost the contrast with a couple of substitutions. While regular vanilla extract won’t color the icing too much, you can substitute clear vanilla extract if you want the icing to be stark white. This recipe calls for Dutch-process cocoa in the icing because it’s darker than the reddish-brown color of natural cocoa powder. You can use natural cocoa if that’s what you have on hand; it just won’t be as black. To make jet-black icing, try black cocoa powder, which is an extra-dark ultra-Dutch-processed cocoa.

How to Jazz Up Black and White Cookies

Black and white may be formal attire, but don’t feel limited by traditions. Whether you make these for holiday parties, New Year’s, or other fun celebrations, it’s easy to add some glamor to black and white cookies. Change the colors: Take your cookies from black and white to technicolor with food coloring. Gel food coloring works best with this type of icing. With liquid food coloring, you will need to use a lot more. You could also try natural food colorings like matcha powder for green or freeze-dried fruit powder or fruit juices for other colors. Be sure to adjust the thickness with more or less milk to compensate for the added liquid or powder coloring.Use sprinkles or edible glitter: Top the cookies with some sprinkles, edible glitter, or luster dust. Add the sprinkles or glitter before the icing sets so they stick. Apply luster dust to the icing after it has set. Luster dust can be brushed on with a dry brush or mix a couple of drops of vodka into the luster dust and use a paintbrush to paint it on.

Storage Instructions

Because of their cakey texture, black and white cookies are best eaten the same day they are baked. They will keep for up to 3 days, stored in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. If you’d like to make them ahead of time, it’s better to freeze the cookies after baking. Making the batter and chilling it beforehand will not work. The batter should be baked right away because the baking powder activates once wet. Black and white cookies can be frozen, frosted or unfrosted, for up to 3 months. Layer them between pieces of parchment and store in an airtight container or zip top bag. Thaw them in the fridge overnight, then bring them to room temperature before serving.

Lofthouse-Style Soft Frosted Sugar Cookies Best Sugar Cookies Gingerbread Cookie Bars Christmas Sugar Cookies

1 3/4 cups (210g) all-purpose flour 1/4 cup (28g) cornstarch 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 10 tablespoons (140g) unsalted butter, room temperature 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar 2 large eggs 1/2 cup (113g) sour cream 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 lemon, zested, optional

For the icing

3 cups (340g) powdered sugar 6 tablespoons whole milk, divided 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/4 cup (21g) unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder

Special equipment

Offset spatula

Stop the mixer and with a rubber spatula scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add the rest of the dry ingredients and continue mixing on low speed just until combined and no pockets of flour remain. The batter will be very thick, much thicker than cake batter, but not quite as thick as cookie dough. The chocolate icing should be the same consistency as the white icing, slightly thicker than Nutella. If it is too thick, add more milk, one teaspoon at a time until you reach the proper consistency. There will be extra icing, so you can be generous. Leftover icing can be saved in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days and can be used to glaze anything from cinnamon rolls to scones.