Black & White Cookies

• 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
  
• 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), at room temperature
  
• 4 large eggs
  
• 1 1/2 cups milk
  
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon extract
  
• 2 1/2 cups cake flour
  
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
• 8 cups confectioners’ sugar
  
• 2/3 to 1 cup water
  
• 2 teaspoon light corn syrup.
  
• 2-4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 2 baking sheets with nonstick spray, or line with parchment paper.

2. In large mixing bowl, combine sugar and butter. Mix by machine or hand until fluffy. Add eggs, milk and vanilla and lemon extracts, and mix until smooth.

3. In medium bowl, combine cake flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt. Stir until mixed. Add dry mixture to the wet in batches, stirring well after each addition. Using a soup spoon, place heaping spoonfuls of the dough 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Bake until edges begin to brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Cool completely.

4. Place confectioners’ sugar in large, heat-safe mixing bowl. Gradually stir in enough hot water to the sugar to make a thick, spreadable mixture, then add half the corn syrup. Err on the side of caution because a too-thin frosting is hard to undo.

5. Spread frosting on half of the flat side of each cookie. Once all cookie halves have been frosted, place the bowl of the remaining frosting in the microwave for 20-45 seconds (enough time to loosen the consistency). Stir in the cocoa, as well as the other half of the light corn syrup.

6. Ice the remaining half of the cookies with the chocolate frosting. I find that the chocolate–especially with cocoa in it–is especially prone to getting too dry, so don’t worry about whisking in an extra teaspoon of that hot water from time to smooth it back into a shiny frosting.

7. Let the frosting set. Store in an airtight container.