New York Statehood Day Black & White Cookies

STATE #11 — NEW YORK

Statehood: July 26, 1788 · The Empire State Cookie: Black & White Cookies

Part of the Ethan & Oliver Adventures State Cookie Series — one cookie for every statehood day, all 50 states.

The black and white cookie is not a cookie. It’s a cake. A flat, soft, cakey disk iced half with white fondant and half with chocolate. New Yorkers call it a cookie. We respect this.

The black and white cookie is a New York City institution — bakeries have been making them since at least the early 1900s. They represent the city in miniature: two things that look opposite, existing together on the same surface, both essential to the whole.

Oliver said that was a good metaphor. Ethan said Oliver didn’t know what a metaphor was. Oliver said he did now.

A Little About New York — State #11

New York joined the Union on July 26, 1788, becoming the 11th state — “The Empire State.”

Niagara Falls can fill one million bathtubs per second. The combined flow of all three falls — American, Bridal Veil, and Horseshoe — is staggering. Standing at the observation point with the mist on your face, the sound drowning out everything else, is one of the most powerful natural experiences in North America.

The Adirondack Mountains are larger than Yellowstone, Glacier, and the Grand Canyon combined. The Adirondack Park covers 6 million acres — the largest publicly protected area in the contiguous United States outside of Alaska. Most people don’t know this. Oliver was genuinely shocked.

The Statue of Liberty was once a lighthouse. From 1886 to 1902, the torch served as an active lighthouse for ships entering New York Harbor. The US Lighthouse Board operated it.

Ellis Island processed over 12 million immigrants between 1892 and 1954. If your family has European roots, there’s a chance your ancestors walked through Ellis Island.

New York NPS stops:

Statue of Liberty NM + Ellis Island
Saratoga National Historical Park
Women’s Rights National Historical Park (Seneca Falls)
Fire Island National Seashore
Gateway NRA

New York Black & White Cookies

Makes about 18 large cookies · Prep: 30 min · Bake: 12 min

Ingredients:

Cookies:

1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
½ cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon lemon zest (optional but traditional)

White Icing:

2 cups powdered sugar
3–4 tablespoons warm water
½ teaspoon vanilla

Chocolate Icing:

2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
3–4 tablespoons warm water

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line baking sheets with parchment.
Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt.
Beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, sour cream, vanilla, and lemon zest.
Mix in flour until just combined.
Scoop ¼-cup portions onto prepared sheets, spacing 3 inches apart. Flatten slightly.
Bake 10–12 minutes until just set and bottoms are barely golden.
Cool completely — at least 1 hour — before icing.
Make white icing: whisk powdered sugar, vanilla, and water until smooth and spreadable.
Make chocolate icing: whisk powdered sugar, cocoa, and water until smooth.
Ice each cookie flat-side up: white icing on one half, chocolate on the other. Let set completely.

Notes: The cookies must be completely cool before icing or the icing will melt. Use the flat side (bottom) as the icing surface — New York bakeries always do. These are best eaten the day they’re made.

From the E&O Kitchen: Oliver iced the line between black and white perfectly straight. Ethan’s were slightly crooked. Oliver did not let this go. Dad said both tasted the same. Oliver said that wasn’t the point.

The Notebooking Prompt

Niagara Falls fills one million bathtubs per second. Try to visualize that. What does it tell you about the power of water?
Ellis Island processed 12 million immigrants. If your family came through Ellis Island, what do you know about their story?
The Adirondacks are the largest protected area in the contiguous US. Why does protecting land matter?
The Statue of Liberty was a gift from France. What does it mean to give a gift of that size?

This Is Part of a Series

The Ethan & Oliver State Cookie Series celebrates every statehood day with a cookie tied to the state’s history, agriculture, or culture and a lesson your family can do right in the kitchen.