Black-and-White Cookies

Ingredients

For the cookies: 

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 
• 3/4 cup cake flour 
• 1/4 cup golden or white whole wheat flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder  
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened 
• 1 cup granulated sugar 
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large egg 
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 
• 1/3 cup sour cream 

For the glazes:

• 3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted, more if needed
• 7 tablespoons whole milk, divided use  
• 2 tablespoons corn syrup 
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 
• 4 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder, sifted 
• 2 ounces dark chocolate, melted

Directions

Step 1

Place an oven rack in the center position and preheat your oven to 350°F. Line 2 rimmed sheet pans with parchment paper; set aside. Combine the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl; set aside.

Step 2

Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the olive oil, egg, and vanilla and mix until well blended. Turn off the machine and use a spatula to scrape up the bottom of the bowl to make sure no clumps of butter remain. 

Step 3

On the lowest speed, add half the flour mixture, then the sour cream, then the rest of the flour. Again, use the spatula to incorporate any batter stuck on the bottom of the bowl. Turn back on the mixer if needed to fully incorporate the flour. The batter will be thick.

Step 4

Use a 2¼” (¼-cup) ice cream scoop to form and release each cookie onto the sheet pans, evenly spacing 6 per pan. For the most even results, bake one sheet pan at a time in the middle rack. Bake for 10 minutes, rotate the pan, and bake another 10 minutes, just until the cookie edges are barely browned. Cool for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Step 5

When the cookies are completely cooled, make the vanilla glaze. In a large bowl, whisk the sugar, 5 tablespoons milk, corn syrup, vanilla, and salt until smooth; it should be thick enough to drop from the whisk in a ribbon. If too thin, whisk in more confectioners’ sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. 

Step 6

Working one cookie at a time, use a thin offset spatula to glaze one half of each cookie, using about half of the vanilla glaze (reserve the rest for the chocolate glaze). Let the glaze set for about 15 minutes. Rinse and dry the spatula. 

Step 7

In a small bowl, whisk the remaining 2 tablespoons of milk and a large spoonful of the vanilla glaze into the cocoa until smooth. Whisk in the melted chocolate, then scrape it into the bowl of reserved vanilla glaze. Whisk until smooth. Use the spatula to spread the chocolate glaze on the unglazed side of each cookie (don’t worry about being too exact with the dividing line). 

Step 8

Let the glaze set for 30 minutes before eating. Allow the cookies to dry completely, an hour or more, before storing them in a single layer in cookie tins.