Snowflake Bakery's Black and White Cookies

Ingredients for the cookies:
2 ounces unsalted butter, softened
2 ounces Crisco shortening
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs (mixed well)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla
1/8 teaspoon pure lemon flavoring
splash of fiori di sicilia (optional but seriously worth it)
2 1/2 cups cake flour (gluten free flour, add 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum)
1 scant T baking powder
pinch salt
1/2 cup whole milk, plus 1 T, if needed

Ingredients for glaze:
2 cups sifted confectioner sugar (King Arthur has no additives)
2 T Valrhona or other quality unsweetened cocoa powder (sifted)
1 teaspoon light corn syrup
splash of vanilla and fiori di sicilia

Preparing the cookies:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silpats. Makes half a dozen, 5 inch Half Moon cookies.

Mix together flour, baking powder, salt (xanthan gum) and set aside. In stand mixer, cream butter, shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add mixed eggs and incorporate well. Add flavorings. Alternately mix in flour mixture and milk. Beat on high just until incorporated and fluffy. Add a tiny bit more milk if the batter seems too stiff. You want the batter to be sturdier than cupcake batter, but not like cookie dough.

Scoop by half cups, five mounds to a baking sheet, well spaced. Using a small offset spatula or the back of a spoon, flatten the mound into a 4 1/2- to 5-inch circle until it actually looks like a Black and White cookie. They will spread slightly, but not much.

Bake about 8 minutes and rotate pans. Bake about 10 minutes more until lightly golden. Cool completely.

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Preparing the glaze:
\Sift the sugar into a bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of hot water and stir until the mixture is a spreadable glaze. Add the flavorings and let set for about 30 seconds. Spoon onto one half of the flat side of the cookie. Using a small offset spatula or the back of a spoon, spread the glaze thinly to the edges. Let set while finishing up the others.

Add the sifted cocoa to the remaining glaze and more water if necessary. Using the same method finish the glaze on the other half of the cookie.

Let set about an hour until hard.

Notes: Once scooped, you have to spread the batter to the diameter just under what you want for the cookie size. Don't worry about it being too thin. They rise. Don't over bake because they will get crispy. Half Moons should be soft.

The glaze can get runny if you add even a tiny bit too much liquid. To remedy that, add more sugar. You want it thin, but not liquidy. It is easier to do the white glaze first and then the chocolate. Just be cautious to not hold the cookie over the others while spreading the chocolate glaze or you might spill it onto the other white glazed halves.

I cannot emphasize enough the addition of fiori di sicilia flavoring from King Arthur. A tiny bit goes a long way and makes your pastry smell and taste like it came from the pastry shop, or in this case, from Snowflake Bakery.