THE GREAT COOKIE QUEST / ROUND TWO

Over the weekend we went to check out William Greenberg, a bakery on the east side that's reported to have THE black and white cookie of our lifetime. Naturally this got me very excited, because like most things in life I take my black + whites terribly seriously. ;) There's a whole lot of factors you gotta consider when you're rating a good black + white, it's not at all like a chocolate chip, which is a very subjective situation, because there is no such thing as a crispy black + white that could still be a good black + white. You can't experiment with pulling them out of the oven early to get a chewier consistency, you're not allowed to substitute Nutella for the chocolate ganache or sprinkle salt on the top, none of that. None of that!

Anyway the east side is super weird. It's like bizarro land over there, very traditional and stuffy, all manicured topiaries and lion door knockers snarling at me as we pass. I feel completely out of place on the east side, me with my flat chest and distinct lack of Tory Burch. I tell you what, the east side side has way bigger boobs going on than the west side does, and also I own precisely zero tennis skirts. 

All of this got me thinking. We've been needing a real black + white to call our favorite. You know, something legitimately New York-y. There's only so much Starbuck's b+w you can take before you start to feel like a fraud. And also, you know, a girl's gotta have a hobby. 

So, roll your drums, kids!

It's The Great Cookie Quest! Round Two! 

The Black + White Edition! 

Brought to you by!... nobody. But that part of the intro felt important.

(Dude should I get my cookie quests sponsored by somebody? Maybe Keebler? Lol.) (Lol?)

(trumpet cadence). 

Get crazy excited, guys. It's way more fun that way.

A little bit about the black + white, for those of you not from around here:

- It's not really a cookie. It's a cake. "Drop cake," because the batter is firm enough to be dropped onto a cookie sheet for baking.

- It is rumored to have been invented in upstate New York.

- The black/white design is said to be a reference to the medieval symbol for the midpoint of the lunar cycle, making it a sort of nod to New York's northern European history.

-The black side of the cookie is (duh) chocolate.

- Originally the white side of the cookie was vanilla buttercream, but these days you're most likely to find vanilla fondant. Some bakeries still do the buttercream. It just makes them messier.

-The cookie should dome a little in the middle, and the black should be slightly taller than the white.

-The base of the cookie should be moist + spongey. The texture is really key. And also the white side SHOULD NOT BE HARD. I get so sad over dried out whites.

-The lemon in the recipe shouldn't overwhelm the cookie, but the perky zip should be noticeable enough to counteract the sweetness of the glazes. 

- Of note, Henry Holbrook calls them "brown + white cookies." 

read more about it here and here and here and here.

And now for the good part. I like to keep things scientific. So we'll use numbers in addition to the usual spiritual soul searching that goes on with me where desserts are concerned. Rating 1-5 style.

THE BLACK / 4 / This black wasn't as fudgey as some of the blacks I've had, which is why this didn't get a full 5. My favorite thing in the world is when the black is so fudgey that it stretches a bit when you pull it apart.

THE WHITE / 5 / Five five five! Soft, subtle, not too sweet, soft! Usually when you unwrap a b+w, you gotta to go real slowly over the black side so you don't mess it up, and then the white is all dried out and crackly and slips out easily. For this one, we had to go reeeal slooow aaaall the waaay acrossss. Satisfying.

THE COOKIE / 5 / It was perfect. Perfect! Chewy, springy, all of it. This is gonna set the bar real high. I think I said, "Good hell, Brandon!" three or four times. Mild cursing is how I know I like something. 

THE  TOTAL / 14

I'd love suggestions on bakeries to include! On my short-list: Glaser's, Nussbaum + Wu, Ess-A-Bagel, and Joyce Bakeshop (because some CBS something or other put them in the top 5). Who else??  (I will also be attempting a DIY-er for this one.)

A happy b+w to you and yours, and remember: Look to the cookie, Elaine. Look to the cookie!

Previous cookie quests found HERE.