Baltimore Style Black and White Cookie
August 20, 2017 by Nicole Collins
It's the Eve of the Solar Eclipse that will probably break the internet!
Cause let's be honest, everyone is going to try to be taking pictures without blinding themselves and then throwing all of their attempts all over the interwebs.
Serious note though, I read an article about how you can actually burn a hole in your eyeball by staring directly at the sun during the eclipse without proper eye protection, so please don't do that. Take precautions, and don't look directly at it people!
I also read that you can break the camera on your phone by trying to take photos facing the sun directly, so your phone needs protection too. The article recommended using the same protection for your phone as you would for your eyes. There are places that are selling special eclipse glasses to help refract the light.
I know it's super cool and this will probably be the only time in our lifetime that the entire US can see the majority of this solar eclipse at one time, but please make sure you do it safely!
I actually saw a sign on the highway message boards saying to plan ahead, because there will be no parking on the highway. I thought that was kinda implied...duh!
Tomorrow's eclipse inspired me to whip up a fun treat for the event. I mean, not like I need a reason to make a dessert. But, why not take advantage of the opportunity!
So, I thought about the whole day/night, light/dark aspect of an eclipse. And, that got me thinking about black and white cookies. And, that got me thinking that Baltimore is known for a pretty famous black and white cookie.
The Berger Cookie!
Berger Cookies are a Baltimore staple. The cookie base is this soft, cakey, shortbread style cookie that just melts in your mouth. Then, it's topped with this thick, rich, German style fudge that hugs the cookie. Those cookies are very sweet and super rich, but they are easily the best cookie in the universe. And they pay homage to Baltimore's German heritage, so who couldn't appreciate that?
Some people like to eat them straight from the freezer. Others can only eat them 1 bite at a time. But no matter how you eat them, you're in for a real treat.
I seriously feel bad for all the places in this world that don't have access to Berger Cookies at their local grocery stores. Thank goodness for the internet! There's actually a Berger Cookie delivery van that sits a a few streets down in my neighborhood. One day, I swear I'm going to stake it out so I can have access to the motherload.
Today's cookies are Berger Cookie adjacent. There is NOTHING like the original cookie, so there was no point in even trying to make a copycat recipe. But, I played around with the concept of a soft shortbread bottom and a fudgy top, and these cookies were born!
One thing that's special about Berger cookies is that they're known for being made with margarine instead of butter. However, I took what I knew about a traditional shortbread cookie (which is butter butter butter), and played around with ways to soften it up a bit. So, there's an egg in here. There's a healthy dose of baking powder in here. And, to really bring it home, there's some cornstarch in here.
Then, there's the fudge topping. This is an old school fudge recipe, and it's my adaptation of a recipe I found in an old church cookbook from the 70's. It comes together fairly quickly, and it doesn't take a lot of effort either. It thickens up kinda quickly though, so you have to work fast when you're icing the cookies. You do get a decent arm workout though, so you're welcome.
And, just in case the black and white theme isn't “eclipsey” enough for you, I made these a drop cookie. This batter doesn't spread, so the mounds stay round when they come out of the oven. Like the sun! And then you cover the cookie with fudge. Like the moon! I mean COME ON!!
So, whether you're looking for a snack to chomp on while you're experiencing the eclipse (but not looking directly at it), or just just want a new cookie recipe to add to your repertoire, these Baltimore Style Black and White Cookies are the way to go!
Enjoy, and let's eat!
Baltimore Style Black and White Cookies
Serves: 30 cookies Print
Ingredients:
For the Cookie:
12 tbsp butter (1 ½ sticks), softened
½ cup sugar
¼ cup evaporated milk
½ tsp vanilla
1 egg
1 ¾ cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cornstarch
1/8 tsp salt
For the Fudge Topping:
1/3 cup evaporated milk
½ cup + 1/3 cup sugar
¼ tsp salt
8 marshmallows, quartered
¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips
½ tsp vanilla
Directions:
Make the Cookies: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, sugar, milk, vanilla, and egg on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about one minute. Add flour, baking powder, cornstarch, and salt. Mix on low speed until flour starts to incorporate, then speed up to medium high speed, and beat just until combined. Alternately, you can mix the ingredients in the same order with a hand mixer in a large mixing bowl. Use a 1 tbsp cookie scoop (or eyeball 1 tbsp mounds of dough) to drop dough on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes until the bottom edges just start to turn golden brown. Remove from tray, and set aside to cool.
When the cookies are completely cool, Make the Fudge Topping: In a small saucepan over low heat,stir to combine sugar, evaporated milk, and salt. Bring to a boil. Once mix starts to boil, start stirring the mix constantly with a silicone spoon for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Add marshmallows, chocolate chips, and vanilla. Stir constantly until the chocolate and marshmallows are completely melted and incorporated.
Top the Cookies: Using a small offset spatula, spread about 1 tbsp of fudge topping on to the top of each cookie. You have to work quickly, because the fudge starts to set. If the fudge becomes unspreadable, use your fingers to manipulate the fudge on to the cookies. Allow the fudge to set for about 15-20 minutes before serving. Store in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Enjoy!
Recipe notes:
*These are similar to Baltimore's famous Berger Cookies, but this is definitely not a copycat recipe. There's nothing like the original!
*These cookies don't spread, and I like their circular mound shape from dropping them straight from the cookie scoop. If you like a flatter cookie, flatten the dough a little bit before putting it on the cookie tray.
*The milk/sugar mixture for the fudge gets really hot, so be sure not to use a plastic spoon to stir it. Stick with the silicone or even a wooden spoon.
