Ina Garten’s Black & White Cookies Are The Perfect Treat For Any Time of Year
It’s no secret that Ina Garten loves desserts, and her recipes for her sweet treats are some of her most widely used. Her most recent cookbook, Modern Comfort Food, contains recipes for several beloved dishes that Garten put her own spin on.
As a Jewish woman born and raised in Brooklyn, Garten is familiar with the phenomenon that is black-and-white cookies. Her recipe for the iconic NYC staple is delicious and unique, and she puts her Barefoot Contessa stamp on the classic cookie.
The cookies require two sets of ingredients
To make the fluffy cookies, you’ll need:
- 10 tablespoons (1¼ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 extra-large egg, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅓ cup sour cream
Of course, black-and-white cookies would be nothing without the signature chocolate and vanilla glazes. To make both, you will need:
- 4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter
- 5 ounces good semisweet chocolate, such as Lindt, roughly chopped
- ½ teaspoon instant coffee granules, such as Nescafé
- 2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 to 3 tablespoons heavy cream
The surprisingly quick and easy recipe for Ina Garten’s black & white cookies
The actual cooking time to make Ina Garten’s famous black-and-white cookies isn’t long at all; most of the process to make these treats is in the prep work and cooling time.
How to make Ina Garten’s black & white cookies
Start by preheating your oven to 350ºF and lining two sheet pans with parchment paper.
To make the cookie dough, put the butter and granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium-high speed for about 3 minutes until it’s light and fluffy. With the mixer running on low, add the egg and vanilla and mix well, making sure to scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a bowl. With the mixer on low, switch between adding the flour mixture and the sour cream in thirds and mix just until combined. Then stir the mixture with a rubber spatula.
Now it’s time to put the cookies in the oven. Use an ice cream scoop to place 5 level scoops of batter 2 inches apart on each of the prepared sheet pans. Bake for 10 minutes, then rotate and switch the pans from the top to bottom rack to bake the cookies evenly. Bake until the edges are lightly browned and a fork comes out clean, about another 6 to 8 minutes. Be sure to not overbake them!
Once they’re done, let them cool on the pans for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack set over a sheet pan to cool completely.
Making the chocolate glaze
For the chocolate glaze, place the butter, chocolate, and coffee in a heatproof bowl and microwave on high for 30 seconds. Stir the mixture and continue to microwave in 30-second increments until the chocolate is almost melted, allowing the residual heat to finish melting the chocolate completely. Stir the mixture vigorously, until smooth.
From there, turn the cookies so the flat side is up. Hold the cookie in your hand and, with a spoon, carefully pour the chocolate glaze on half of the cookie, forming a straight line down the middle. Allow the glaze to set for 30 minutes.
Making the vanilla glaze
Once you’ve allowed the chocolate glaze to harden, it’s time to move on to the vanilla side. Whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, and 2 tablespoons of the cream, adding drops of cream until the glaze is smooth, thick, and barely pourable. Hold the cookie in your hand and use a spoon to pour the white glaze over the unglazed half of each cookie right up to the chocolate glaze. If you mess up, you can smooth it out with a spatula if you need to.
Allow the glaze to set for 30 minutes. Once they’re ready, serve them at room temperature and enjoy!
