BLACK AND WHITE COOKIE in New York: Breads Bakery

You might be thinking, “I’ve been to Breads Bakery in Union Square or Lincoln Center or Bryant Park and I love their babka but never saw a black and white cookie on their shelves.” And you would be correct. Because the only location of Breads Bakery that has their wacky version of the New York staple is the location on the Upper East Side. “And who goes there?”

Well, those who really want to get a taste of the best and most original black and white cookies need to go there. The Upper East Side is where it all started (at the now shuttered Glaser’s Bake Shop) and in my mind it is still the neighborhood most associated with this treat.

So of course this would be the one location of Breads to pull it off.

It did feel very special coming up here to try it out. Like a true mission.

Now I am a fan of Breads as much as the next person. I’ve enjoyed almost everything I’ve tried at this Israeli bakery, so I was very excited to see what they did with the black and white.

Of course, this cookie is most associated with New York culture (Jewish and beyond), but not so much Israeli cutlure. And to take it one step further, Breads even adds a little bit of French culture.

While most black and white cookies are technically cake, this is technically pastry and darn close to a croissant.

And I’m sad to say, despite the ingenuity here, I wasn’t crazy about it. I thought the flavor contrasts should have been stronger between the two sides. If they were going to go there, they should have completely gone there.

I also found the dough surprisingly a bit too dry. I liked the fondant with actual specks of vanilla bean on one half and fudge on the other side, but there was just not enough of it.

It was a very interesting experiment, but it strayed too far for me and didn’t improve on the original cookie.

So while it’s fun heading up here to Breads to find the only location serving this somewhat secret offering, there are other bakeries in the neighborhood to visit for a better taste.

Does Breads Bakery have the best black and white cookie in NY? It’s certainly the most unusual but despite its fresh take, the dry cookie and lacking frosting didn’t work for me or Sam. I give it a 6.5 out of 10 for its ingenuity, but Sam, being less forgiving, gives it a meager 4 out of 10