Jerry Seinfeld often gets credit for making the black and white cookie so famous, but of course, this iconic New York treat predates the 90’s sitcom by a lot.
While I grew up eating them in South Florida (thanks to a New York heritage), they did indeed originate in New York. The question is whether they first came to be in the city or further upstate. The answer is probably both.
Up in Utica, New York, a famous bakery called Hemstrought’s (which still exists), makes what they call “half moon” cookies. These resemble the famous black and white cookies but take the perspective that the design is based off that celestial body when it is half way full. They have been making these cookies since 1920.
But before then, Glaser’s Bake Shop was opened (in 1902) by Bavarian immigrants John and Justine Glaser. It was here that the first black and white cookie was sold. Sadly, this bakery closed in 2018, well after I started this food blog.
When they announced the news, it was a very sad week for foodies who lined up to get one last taste. I was one of those who made my way up to the Upper East Side. But alas, the line proved too long (I would have been late for a tour) and the original black and white cookie got away from me forever.
There is also another story that says a similar cookie existed well before in Germany which influenced both of these. Interestingly, the cookie gained even more popularity when American soldiers re-introduced it to Germany during World War II and it became known as the “Amerikaner”
Anybody who has ever tried these know that both these cookies can barely be called a cookie. They are flat and large in the disc-like shape of a cookie, but the batter is much more like a cake. To be more precise, these are a “drop cake” that is basically the same batter as a cupcake (flour, butter, sugar, and eggs) but with extra flour to keep it from turning into a mess when freely dropped on a baking sheet.
Then the famous color-coded exterior can vary, but in the city it is traditionally a fondant made with chocolate on the black side and vanilla with some sort of extract (lemon, orange, or almond) on the white side.
As a kid, I ate these all the time but if I was truthful with myself, I never really enjoyed them that much. Will all that change now that I have a 7 year old who claims to be a huge fan? We’ll see as we go searching for the best in the city. It’s been a while, but I’m ready to shut up and… Eat This!
Click here to see the black and white cookie reviews.