Black and White Cookies Recipe: NYC Jewish Bakery Classic

The black and white cookie is as New York as the Brooklyn Bridge and as Jewish as a Sunday morning at Zabar’s. Half-moon of vanilla fondant, half-moon of chocolate—this oversized, cake-like cookie has been a fixture in Jewish bakeries, delis, and appetizing shops across the five boroughs since the early 20th century. It’s the cookie that launched a thousand Seinfeld references, the one Jerry called “the symbol of racial harmony”—two colors coming together on a single cookie.

The origins of the black and white trace back to the German and Eastern European Jewish bakers who established themselves in New York in the late 1800s. Known as Halbmonde (half-moons) in German baking tradition, these cookies were adapted by Jewish bakeries like Glaser’s, Zabar’s, and William Greenberg to become something distinctly New York. The key is in the base: not a crunchy cookie but a soft, cakey round that’s really more of an individually portioned sponge—tender, lemony, and yielding.

A truly great black and white cookie has three non-negotiable qualities: the base must be soft and cake-like (never crunchy), the fondant icing must be smooth and just-set (not dry or chalky), and the dividing line between black and white must be crisp and clean. This recipe delivers all three, with a pareve formula that makes these cookies suitable for any occasion—from a Shabbat kiddush spread to a weeknight treat.

What Makes This Recipe Special

• Authentic NYC bakery style — Soft, cakey base with proper fondant icing, not royal icing or ganache
• Pareve formula — No butter or milk; uses oil and plant-based milk for a dairy-free result
• Lemon-scented base — A hint of lemon zest in the batter is the signature flavor of the best bakery versions
• Smooth, glossy icing — A cooked fondant technique produces the characteristic sheen and texture
• Bakery-sized portions — Each cookie is a generous 10 cm (4 in) diameter, as they should be

Ingredients

Cookie Base

Vanilla (White) Icing

Chocolate (Black) Icing

Instructions

Step 1: Make the Cookie Batter

Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk the sugar, oil, eggs, plant-based milk, lemon zest, and vanilla until smooth. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until just combined—the batter should be thick but scoopable, similar to muffin batter.

Step 2: Bake the Cookies

Using a ¼ cup measure or large cookie scoop, drop mounds of batter onto the prepared sheets, spacing 8 cm (3 in) apart. You should get 12 cookies total. Bake for 15–18 minutes until the edges are just barely golden and the centers spring back when touched. The cookies should remain pale—do not over-bake. Cool on the sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Step 3: Make the White Icing

Sift the powdered sugar into a bowl. Add the corn syrup, hot water, and vanilla. Whisk until completely smooth and glossy. The consistency should be thick but spreadable—it should coat the back of a spoon and slowly drip off. Add more water by the ½ teaspoon if too thick.

Step 4: Make the Chocolate Icing

Sift the powdered sugar and cocoa powder together into a bowl. Add the corn syrup, hot water, and vanilla. Whisk until smooth. Adjust consistency as with the white icing.

Step 5: Ice the Cookies

Turn each cookie flat-side up. Using a small offset spatula or butter knife, spread the vanilla icing over one half of the flat surface, creating a clean straight line down the center. Then spread the chocolate icing over the other half, meeting the white icing at the center line. Work carefully for a crisp division. Let the icing set at room temperature for about 30 minutes until firm to the touch.

Storage & Make-Ahead

• Room temperature: Store in a single layer in an airtight container for 2–3 days. Place parchment between layers if stacking.
• Refrigerated: The icing stays smoother when stored cool. Refrigerate up to 5 days; bring to room temperature before serving.
• Freezing: Freeze un-iced cookie bases for up to 2 months. Thaw and ice fresh for best results. Iced cookies can be frozen but the icing may become slightly tacky upon thawing.

Troubleshooting

Frequently Asked Questions

Are black and white cookies really cookies?

This is a perennial debate. Technically, black and whites are closer to individually baked cakes than traditional cookies. The batter is a cake batter (not a cookie dough), and the texture is soft and cakey, never crunchy or chewy. In NYC bakeries, they’re classified as cookies for display purposes, but they’re baked from drop batter, not rolled dough. Semantics aside, they’re delicious.

Which do you ice first—white or black?

Always ice the white (vanilla) side first. This gives you a clean, light base to work from. Let the white icing set for 5 minutes until it starts to firm up, then apply the chocolate side. This produces the cleanest dividing line. Working in the opposite order risks chocolate smearing into the white.

Why corn syrup in the icing?

Corn syrup serves two purposes: it gives the icing its characteristic glossy sheen (which powdered sugar alone can’t achieve), and it prevents the icing from cracking as it sets. Without it, the fondant would be matte and brittle. Light corn syrup is pareve and kosher-certified.

How big should black and white cookies be?

A proper NYC black and white cookie is large—at least 10 cm (4 in) in diameter. This isn’t just tradition; the size-to-icing ratio matters. A smaller cookie has too much icing relative to the base. When a recipe says it makes “24 small cookies,” it’s not making black and whites—it’s making something else.

Can I use real chocolate for the dark icing?

Some modern recipes use melted chocolate instead of cocoa for a richer dark side. If using this approach, melt 60g of pareve dark chocolate, let it cool slightly, and fold it into the powdered sugar mixture in place of the cocoa. The result is glossier and more intensely chocolate, though less traditional.