black + white cookies, and a holiday tradition.

There are few things I love more than a good tradition shared amongst loved ones. I think this is why I love the holidays so much – they create the perfect opportunity to start your own family tradition, and take part in it each year.

These black and white cookies were just that:  the beginning of a tradition for Daniel and I. I had read in a magazine a compilation of holiday traditions submitted by readers. One reader’s story particularly caught my eye – every year, the family drank champagne and enjoyed a plate of donuts while decorating the tree; the couple saved the wire cage off of the bottle each year, noting the date on the back, and saved all of the cages on a decorative branch throughout the years. I love traditions, and I loved this idea, but wanted to make it our own. So, I set out to pick a treat to make each year in place of the donuts. I thought of the obvious choices – like sugar cookies or gingerbread men – but I wanted to do something unique. I liked how they had chosen donuts as their signature snack; it was something different. The top runners-up were:  Rice Krispie treats – they were something we could easily make with our kids one day, coconut macaroons, and black and white cookies. I ended up going with the black and whites – they represent New York, and because that’s where Dan is from and we both feel such a tie to that city, we liked the idea of bringing some New York-love to the tradition we’d eventually share with our children.

So, black and whites it was. They seemed easy enough. Shortbread-cake-like cookies, topped with an extra-simple chocolate and vanilla frosting. How hard can it be?

I tested two different recipes for these cookies, and truth be told – I didn’t find perfection. The first recipe I tested was the recipe I ended up going with over the second – from Smitten Kitchen, sorry Deb – after making some minor adjustments. The issue I had with the first batch is that they came out much too thick and rounded, and not nearly as flat as I wanted them. For the recipe below, I added more buttermilk to make them slightly more flat, and also used the back of a spoon to help shape them. You still want them to have some volume, but you don’t want them to be so round that they don’t sit upright when they are upside-down (the cookies are frosted on the flat bottoms). One of the main differences between the two recipes was the addition of lemon extract that Deb used in the cookie; the recipe below used lemon juice in the vanilla icing. Other than that, I found the icings to be similar. And I must add that Deb’s version was still delicious – I just preferred the cake-like texture of the recipe below, and thought it had a slightly better flavor.

I happen to think these cookies would be fabulous with champagne for New Year’s, or any other time of year for that matter. I’m still on the fence as to whether or not these will be a mainstay in our yearly tree-trimming, though I can tell you the champagne will stand the test of time. Our first little dated cage is lonely for now, but I can’t wait to watch it grow in the years to come.

Do YOU have any family traditions for the holidays? No matter what you’re celebrating, I hope it’s absolutely fabulous. Merry Christmas and a happy holiday to all!

Black + White Cookies

Adapted from Gourmet

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup well-shaken buttermilk, plus up to a 1/4 cup more as needed
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/3 cup (5 1/3 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg

For icings:

• 1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
• 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 to 2 tablespoons water
• 1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder