Buttercream Frosted Black And White Cookies Food

BUTTERCREAM COOKIES

Steps:

• Mix 3/4 cup butter and 1/2 cup cream cheese together at a medium speed with a whisk attachment or hand mixer until smooth.
• Next, mix in 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar at a medium-high speed for a couple minutes, until the mixture becomes lighter in color.
• Add in 1 egg, 2 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract and 1 tsp almond extract. Mix on a low speed until incorporated.
• In a separate bowl, sift together 3 cups flour, 1 Tbsp cornstarch, 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt.
• Gradually mix the flour mixture into the butter mixture on a low speed, until it is JUST incorporated. I like to do this in a couple installments and scrape the sides of the bowl between additions.
• At this point the dough will still be pretty sticky. Divide the dough in half and wrap each piece of dough in a piece of plastic wrap.
• Chill in the fridge for about 2 hours or the freezer for 30 minutes.
• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F at this point in the process about 30 minutes before you plan to roll out the dough.
• Generously dust the surface you plan to roll the cookies out on with additional flour.
• Take one ball of dough out of the fridge or freezer, leaving the other to continue to chill.
• Sprinkle some more flour on top of your dough ball and on your rolling pin.
• Roll the chilled dough to be 1/3 inch thick and cut out your shapes with a flour dusted cookie cutter.
• Use a kitchen brush to gently brush off any excess flour and place onto a parchment lined baking sheet or silicone mat.
• Chill the cut-out cookies one more time in the fridge for 15 minutes or the freezer for 10 minutes to help them keep their shape better.
• Bake for 9-11 minutes on the top wrack of your oven (time varies based on the size and shape of the cookies). Keep a close eye on these and be sure to pull them out before the edges start to brown.
• Let the baked cookies cool on the pan for about 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
• While the first batch bakes and cools, knead together the cookie dough scraps, and rewrap them in plastic wrap. Pop them back in the fridge to chill.
• Pull out your 2nd chilled ball of dough and repeat steps 9-15. Then repeat with the chilled dough scraps.
• Beat 1 cup of butter on a medium speed for 30 seconds with a paddle attachment, until smooth.
• Mix in 1 Tbsp vanilla paste or vanilla extract and 1/2 tsp salt on a low speed
• Slowly add in 3 1/2 powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time. Halfway through add in 2 Tbsp of heavy cream or milk to make it easier to mix.
• Beat on low until the ingredients are fully incorporated and the desired consistency is reached.
• If the frosting seems too thick, add in additional cream (1 Tbsp at a time). If the frosting is too thin, add in more powdered sugar (quarter of a cup at a time).
• If you plan to color the buttercream, add in the gel food coloring once the frosting is fully made and beat on low until it reaches the desired colored.
• Place frosting into a piping bag and decorate as desired! I didn't use a piping tip, and just cut about a 1 inch opening at the end of my bag to pipe some simple swirls on top of my cookies.

BLACK-AND-WHITE LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter two 8-inch-round cake pans and dust with cocoa powder, tapping out the excess. Combine the butter, milk and 1/2 cup water in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Transfer to a large bowl, add the cocoa powder and granulated sugar and whisk until smooth. Let cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
• Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Whisk the eggs and vanilla into the cocoa mixture, then stir in the flour mixture in two additions until just combined (it's OK if there are a few small lumps). Divide the batter between the prepared pans; tap the pans against the counter to remove any air bubbles. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out with a few moist crumbs, about 35 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes in the pans, then run a knife around the edges and invert onto a rack to cool completely.
• Make the frosting: Put the white chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring, until smooth; let cool. Beat the butter and salt in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the melted white chocolate until combined. Gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar until smooth and fluffy; beat in the vanilla. (If the frosting is too soft to spread, chill about 15 minutes.)
• Place one cake layer on a platter and spread with one-third of the frosting. Top with the second cake layer; cover the whole cake with the remaining frosting. Top with shaved white and dark chocolate.

BLACK AND WHITE COOKIES

Steps:

• Make the cookies: Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350˚ F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl until combined.
• Beat the butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla, beating well after each addition.
• Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat half of the flour mixture into the butter mixture until just combined. Beat in the sour cream, then beat in the remaining flour mixture.
• Using a large ice cream scoop or 1/4 cup measure, scoop mounds of dough and place 3 inches apart on the baking sheets (6 cookies per pan). Bake, rotating and switching the pans halfway through, until the cookies are puffed and the bottoms and edges are just starting to brown, about 15 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes on the pans, then remove the cookies to a rack to cool completely.
• Make the icing: Sift the confectioners' sugar into a large bowl. Add 3 tablespoons milk, the corn syrup and vanilla and whisk until smooth and very thick but still spreadable. Remove half of the icing (about 1/2 cup) to a separate bowl and stir in the cocoa powder until smooth, thinning with up to 1 tablespoon milk, if needed.
• Turn the cookies flat-side up. Using a small offset spatula, spread the white icing on half of each cookie, making a straight, clean line in the center of the cookie. Return the cookies to the rack, and let sit, preferably in a cool place, until the icing is firm with a matte finish, at least 30 minutes. Spread the chocolate icing on the other half of the cookies. Let the icing set at room temperature, at least 2 hours and up to overnight.