If you've ever been in a New York deli and seen a giant flat cookie with one half iced in vanilla and the other half in chocolate, that's a black and white. Jerry Seinfeld did a whole bit about them. They're called the official cookie of New York City. And we make them, here in Fort Lauderdale, the right way.
What Is It, Exactly?
A black and white cookie (sometimes called a "half-and-half" or, in Boston, a "harlequin") is a large, cake-like cookie, somewhere between a cookie and a flat round of cake. The flat top is iced with two distinct halves: vanilla fondant on one side, chocolate fondant on the other. The line down the middle is the whole point.
The History
The black and white originated in upstate New York in the late 1800s, supposedly at Glaser's Bake Shop in Manhattan and later popularized by Hemstrought's Bakery in Utica. It became the iconic NY deli cookie sometime in the early 1900s and never left.
The cookie itself is a simple drop-batter, flour, butter, sugar, eggs, lemon zest, vanilla, a touch of milk. It's softer than a typical cookie, almost cakey. The icing is a poured fondant, hardened to a smooth shine.
Why Is It Called the "Official Cookie of New York"?
It's not literal, there's no government designation. It's earned through pure cultural saturation. Every New York deli, bakery, and corner store has them. Seinfeld immortalized them in the 1994 "Dinner Party" episode where Jerry calls them a symbol of racial harmony ("Look to the cookie, Elaine!"). Once that happened, the cookie became something people specifically seek out.
The "Right" Way to Eat One
Seinfeld's joke aside, there's no right way. But the unofficial New York etiquette is:
- Break it in half down the icing line first
- Eat the vanilla side first (some say it cleanses the palate)
- Then the chocolate side
- Finish with a glass of cold milk or hot coffee
Where to Get One in Fort Lauderdale
We make ours in-house every day at Goldberg's, using the family recipe Marc learned from his father in Westwood, NJ. $3.49 each, available individually or by the dozen. Catering platters always include them.