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?