Black and White Cookies

While living in the Bronx several summers ago, I had an established tradition each afternoon. . . I would walk several blocks to the nearest corner store and purchase two things: one black and white cookie and one grape soda. Not quite sure why I started this, or why I desired that combination, but I did.

Anyway, I recently came across this magazine/website.



Household cooks from all over the states can share their favorite family recipes. I have already used from several of them and they are great! Here's the recipe for Black and White cookies:

Ingredients:
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup butter, softened
3 ounces cream cheese
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup white chocolate chips
2 Tbls. shortening

Step 1:
Beat the sugar, butter, and cream cheese together until fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla. When mixed in, add the flour; mix well. Divide dough in half. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll out the dough, but not too thin. (The dough is tender, so you can have a thicker cookie.) Cut the dough into desired shapes. Bake for 8 minutes or until barely light brown. (I baked mine for about 10 minutes, but my oven is also 40 years old. . . just watch them closely.) Cool completely on cookie rack.


Step 2:
Melt semisweet chocolate chips; set aside. (Rather than using the microwave, I melt mine by using a double-broiler. Less likely to burn in my opinion.) Combine white chocolate chips with shortening; melt slowly. Dip half of each cookie in the melted white chocolate*; cool until set. Brush melted semisweet chocolate on the other half**; let set completely. Makes 24 cookies.

*Useful tip: I cut several medium sized squares of parchment paper and placed the paper over half of the cookie. Though this makes things a bit messy, it made the middle line much more straight and pretty.
**Use the back of a spoon to smooth on the semisweet chocolate.


Hope you enjoy!