If it's not too much trouble, I'd like you to be my glutenfree Valentine. And I'm gluten-free. But if you're busy, it's okay and I totally get it. Before you answer, please keep in mind that I spend, basically, all of my time baking your favorite comfort foods. The ones you thought you and your family might never ever have again because, well, because of the gluten. Step One in my Be-My-Valentine Campaign is to exert undue influence with these true black & white cookies, adapted from page 198 of my first cookbook. I say “true” black & white cookies (even though they're actually pink & white) because they are iced. NOT FROSTED. For the love of all things holy, accept no frosted “black & white cookies.” I'm from New York. Which makes me an expert on these cookies, by birthright. You can trust me.
When my husband* walked in the house as these were baking, he said, “it smells like a bakery in here.” Black & white cookies are the very essence of bakery cookies. And they're totally impressive, despite being simple to put together.
The cookies are super tender as they're made with sour cream right there in the batter.
This seems like as good a time as any to mention that you have my littlest Valentine, my son, to thank for the fact that there isn't a .gif (you know those pictures that shift from one image to another and back again?) showing you how these cookies go from half white and half plain to half white and half pink.
I thought the .gif was cool. My son pointed out, “Cool, Mom, but don't you think that would get, like, really annoying really fast?” Smart kid.
*Lest you think that my plea to make you my Gluten-Free Valentine was empty and hollow, my husband is going to be out of town on Valentine's Day. With my kids. Save me from gifting cookies to my dogs. For the first time in 15 years, I'll be all alone. Will you be my Valentine?
Pink “Black & White” Cookies for Valentine’s Day (from the Shoestring Cookbook!)
Ingredients
FOR THE COOKIE
1 1/4 cups (175 g) high-quality all-purpose gluten-free flour (I used my Better Than Cup4Cup Blend)
Heaping 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your blend, like mine, already contains it)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
1/3 cup (75 g) sour cream, at room temperature
1 extra-large egg (60 g, out of shell) at room temperature, beaten
5 tablespoons (70 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
FOR THE ICING
1 1/2 cups (173 g) confectioners’ sugar (plus more by the tablespoon)
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1-2 tablespoons water
Red or pink gel food coloring, to desired color
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper and set is aside.
Make the Cookies. In a large bowl, place the flour, xanthan gum, baking soda, salt, and granulated sugar, and whisk to combine well. Add the sour cream, egg, butter and vanilla, and mix to combine. The dough will be thick. Spoon or pipe the batter by the heaping tablespoonful onto the prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. With wet fingers, smooth the top of each mound of batter into a proper disk. Place the baking sheet in the center of the preheated oven and bake until the cookie tops are puffed and pale golden, about 15 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the icing. The cookies must be completely cool before being iced, or the icing will melt into the cookies. To make the icing, stir together the confectioners’ suar, corn syrup, lemon juice, vanilla and about 1 tablespoon of water in a small bowl until completely smooth. This makes the white icing. To make the pink icing, transfer half the icing to another bowl, add the food coloring, and stir very well. As necessary, add water by the tablespoon to thin, or add more confectioners’ sugar by the tablespoon to thicken, both the white and the pink icings separately. The consistency should be such that it dribbles from a spoon slowly and gracefully, like molasses. If it is too thick, it won’t spread. Too thin, and it won’t be visible on the cookie.
Ice the cookies. Once the cookies are completely cool, ice them. Turn the cookies flat side up, and spread the white icing over half, then the pink icing over the other half. The icing should be opaque and not melt into the cookie. If the icing disappears as you spread it, add more confectioners’ sugar to thicken. Serve chilled, so the icing is set just right.
Shoestring Savings:
If you make it: $3.00 for 16 cookies
If you bought it: $16.00 for 16 cookiesAdapted from the book Gluten-Free on a Shoestring: 125 Easy Recipes for Eating Well on the Cheap, by Nicole Hunn. Excerpted by arrangement with Da Capo Lifelong, a member of the Perseus Books Group. Copyright © 2011.
Thanks for stopping by!
Hi, I’m Nicole. I create gluten free recipes that really work and taste as good as you remember. No more making separate meals when someone is GF, or buying packaged foods that aren’t good enough to justify the price. At Gluten Free on a Shoestring, “good, for gluten free” just isn’t good enough! Come visit my bio!
celiac chick Newburgh says
These were so fun to make….and delish too! My hubby definitely enjoyed them!
Jenn in FL says
Can’t wait to bake these – will not be waiting until the 14th because they are too cute! I grew up with b/w cookies and the store bought one just don’t taste right. THANK YOU for posting this. Going to send each kid to school with their own basket full of these.
Michelle says
So cute! We don’t have black and white cookies out west where I am, and I have always been intrigued by them. My daughter will love making these with me. Thanks!
Dana Schwartz says
Oh, I’ll be your Valentine any day, but with these cookies in your arsenal I think my daughter might beat me too it! They are delicious looking. I have been meaning to try those black and whites for ages, but I think pink and white wins. Yum!
-Dana (p.s. Ordering navy bean flour asap)
Sandy R says
Hi Nicole, I simply LOVE your site, it is the be all and end all of GF sitse in my humble opinion. I have purch ased your two books and they simply ROCK. And I can’t wait for the bread book coming out way too late in this year.
Thank you for simplifing flour blends and using one basic blend for most (Better Batter ) and thank you for saving me money where ever possible Thank you Thank you Thank you.
I have also spent the last couple of days going back through every-single-page of this blog WOW what a wealth of information and the scope of your recipes? – Amazing. I received my Better Batter order and made your simple white bread first – it is AMAZING so tall and proud, soft and sliceable and just fantastic (almost tastes like the old GFull bread). Now to decide on the next recipe???? . . . . so yes I’ll be your Valentine – forever.
Sandy R
Rrochlin says
Hi Nicole, definitely gonna make this one.. Grew up in Brooklyn NY. This was the treat of treats.
Regards, Rhea
Dyskalkulie says
So beautiful, love the colour-combo!
Donia says
I like that you asterisked the word husband. It made me think, what else is he? Or IS he her husband? A little intrigue to start the day. I’ll be your valentine. Promise.
Twolicious.blogspot.com says
Oh yeah, I wondered about that asterisk also…hehehe… Made me wonder too, until I got to the end and found the explanation asterisk.
I baking today, so I just might put these on the list, know my family won’t mind.
Also why on earth would you think you were alone on valentines day! Just look at this blog- we’re here, we’re just over here (I mean this side of the screen!)
Happy Valentines day.