save Black and White for New Year’s Eve
Day 6 and the weather outside is getting more frightful! But, inside, it’s so delightful……..
Here’s my holiday version of the iconic Black and White! It pays homage to the bright colors of Santa’s suit, I think. Christmas is for kids, after all, isn’t it?
I read one reference on the internet claiming that Santa’s red and white suit is not a custom that came down through the ages, but an invention of the Coca-Cola Company! Could that be true? (wow, fake news is real!) Even though I am well aware of the Thomas Nast contributions and some of the European iterations of St. Nicholas and Sinterklaas, I went looking……
For one brief history on the evolution of Santa, take a look here: https://publicdomainreview.org/collections/a-pictorial-history-of-santa-claus/
plain or “fancy”
THE RED AND WHITE COOKIE – adapted from Mario Batali’s Black and White
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 cups bleached cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
4 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp peppermint extract*
4 cups confectioner’s sugar
2 tbsp light corn syrup
1 1/2 tsp pure peppermint extract*
red food coloring
crushed candy canes for garnish
*use Nielsen-Massey
Preheat oven to 350F. Line 4 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Whisk together all purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
In the bowl of your electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment combine the granulated sugar and butter. Beat on medium speed until mixture turns pale yellow, about 3 minutes, scraping down bowl as needed. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until blended after each addition and scraping down bowl as needed With mixer running on low, add half of the flour mixture, beat until blended. Add 1/2 cup of the milk, 2 tsp vanilla and the 1/4 tsp peppermint extract; beat until blended. Add remaining flour mixture, and beat until blended. Add remaining milk; beat until blended.
Using a 1 1/2″ ice cream scoop, spoon mounds of batter onto prepared baking sheets, leaving 2″ between mounds. Using wet fingers, flatten the batter to about 2 1/2″ wide. Bake until edges are set and cookies have a nice tan. Transfer to a cooling rack; cool completely.
Stir together the confectioner’s sugar and 1/4 cup warm water in a large bowl. Add corn syrup and the peppermint extract and whisk until smooth. Divide the icing in half. In one half, add several drops of red food coloring, adding and whisking until you get the shade you desire. Turn all of the cookies over to decorate the flat sides only. *If the icing hardens before you’ve iced all the cookies, stir in 1 tsp warm water to loosen the mixture.
Spread the white icing on half of each cookie using a small offset spatula. Return the cookies to the cooling rack and sprinkle with bits of candy cane if desired. Let sit for 15-20 minutes. Spread the red icing on the other halves and sprinkle the candy cane bits on the red side, too, if desired. Let the cookies sit for another 15-20 minutes. Makes about 36 cookies.
Enjoy!
does this protect against 2-legged “mice”? (and, you know who you are!)
a serious conversation with Santa as had by Ryan circa 1995