Black and white cookies get a holiday makeover with these blue and white cookies. The traditional cookies are fluffy, slightly sweet, and perfect for Hanukkah dessert.
Blue And White Cookie Recipe
Black and white cookies are a staple when it comes to New York City bakeries. The pillowy cookies are known for being oversized and having an almost cake-like texture. The fluffy cookies are traditionally covered in both chocolate and vanilla frosting, making it a treat for those who can never choose between the two!
When it comes to Hanukkah sufganiyot, fried jelly donuts are the traditional holiday desserts. However, sometimes you need something else on the plate. Enter these blue and white cookies. The blue and white cookies double up on the vanilla frosting to bring the Hanukkah colors to life.
These cookies are basically a cross between a cookie and a slice of cake. The pillowy and soft texture comes from the addition of sour cream and an extra egg yolk in the cookie batter. They make the dough thick, like cake batter, and keep the cookies extra moist after they are baked.
Traditionally, these cookies are half chocolate, half vanilla. Since these are blue and white cookies for Hanukkah, the chocolate gets put to the side, and the cookies get two vanilla halves (sorry, chocolate lovers!).
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Great For The Holidays - Turning these cookies blue and white is great for a Hanukkah celebration. You can also use the recipe to celebrate other holidays, like red and white for Valentine's Day or green and white for St. Patrick's Day.
- Super Fluffy Texture - The soft cookies are like a combo between a soft piece of cake and a cookie. They are very soft, light, and make for a great bite.
- Just Sweet Enough - These cookies are not super sweet. The icing adds a touch of sweetness that isn't overpowering and gives the cookies great flavor.
Ingredients Needed For Blue And White Cookies
See below for all the details on what you'll need to make the full recipe.
For The Cookies
- All-Purpose Flour
- Sour Cream - Keeps the cookies nice and moist.
- Almond Extract - Just a dash adds an excellent and bright flavor.
- Eggs - One egg plus one egg yolk lightens the batter and makes it rich.
- Sugar
For The Icing
- Powdered Sugar
- Heavy Cream - Thickens up the icing allowing for a stronger color in the frosting.
- Corn Syrup - Adds the signature shine to the icing.
- Boiling Water
- Salt - Balances out of the flavors.
How To Make Blue And White Cookies
- Prepare. Preheat the oven to 350. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Set to the side.
- Dry Ingredients. In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set to the side.
- Wet Ingredients. Cream the butter until fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the sugar and mix until combined and fluffy, scraping down the bowl until needed. Add the egg, egg yolk, and extracts. Mix to combine.
- Combine. Alternate adding the sour cream and flour mixture into the butter mixture. The batter will be very thick.
- Form the cookies. Scoop ¼ cup of the batter onto the prepared cookie sheet. Try to make the batter round if possible on the sheet. Bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges.
- Make the icing. While the cookies are baking, make the icing. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the powdered sugar, boiling water, corn syrup, heavy cream, vanilla, and salt. Mix until smooth. Add more water or powdered sugar if the mixture is too thin or thick. Split the icing into two batches, coloring one blue with food dye.
- Frost the cookies. Let the cookies cool completely before frosting. Use an off-set spatula or a spoon to spread the frosting. Do one half in white and let sit for 10 minutes. Then, frost the other half in blue. Set the cookies in the fridge for 1 hour to fully set.
Make-Ahead And Storage
The cookies are best eaten fresh. If you need to make the cookies ahead of time, make the cookies, but do not frost them. Wait until you are going to serve the cookies to frost them. That way, they will not get soggy.
Any extra cookies can be stored in an airtight container for 4-5 days. While you can freeze the cookies, the frosting may get mushy when it defrosts, so it is better to make the cookies fresh.
Tips and Variation
- Don't Skip The Almond Extract - Don't worry if you don't like almonds. The splash of extract adds a subtle flavor that makes the cookies stand out among the rest.
- Cooling And Setting - Let the cookies fully cool before you frost them. Also, don't rush the setting time, as this will keep the icing looking shiny and still.
- Chocolate Frosting - If you want to make traditional black and white instead of blue and white, add melted chocolate to the icing to make the classic cookies.
FAQs
Black and white cookies are sometimes known as half-and-half cookies or half-moon cookies. They get their name from being two colors, traditionally vanilla and chocolate.
Black and white cookies have a rather simple flavor. They are like a combo between traditional drop cookies and fluffy white cake. The vanilla and almond extract add flavor to the base of the cookie.
While there is no perfect way to eat a black and white cookie, the best way is to slice it in half so you get both the chocolate and vanilla frosting in one bite. With these blue and white cookies, you can slice it any way you want since the frosting is all the same flavor.
Hanukkah Blue And White Cookies
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set to the side.
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix to combine.
- In a large bowl with a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the butter for 2-3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add in the sugar, scraping down the bowl as needed. Add the egg and egg yolk, followed by the extracts. Mix to fully combine and continue to scrape down the bowl as needed.
- Alternate adding the sour cream and the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Mix until fully combined, scraping down the sides as needed. The dough will be very thick, like cake batter.
- Scope ¼ of the dough on to the sheet of parchment to form the cookies. If needed, use your fingers or a spoon to smooth out the dough to make it in a circular shape. Bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes, until they are golden brown on the bottom.
- While the cookies are baking, make the frosting. In a large bowl, combine the powdered sugar, boiling water, heavy cream, corn syrup, vanilla, and salt. Use a whisk to break up the powdered sugar and mix until smooth. Split the icing in half and use blue food dye to color the icing a light blue color.
- Take the cookies out of the oven and let them fully cool on a cooling rack. When the cookies are ready, frost half of the cookie with the white base using an offset spatula or a spoon. Let the cookies sit for about 10 minutes before frosting the other side. Frost the other side with the blue frosting when ready.
- When the cookies are fully frosted, place them back in the fridge to set for about an hour. Don't rush this process, as this will keep their crisp shine and won't allow for the icing to easily smudge.
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