Black and White Is The New Black... And White

In my just over a year of blogging I have noticed a few items that are much debated and often duplicated. Some are fads, like the New York Times chocolate chip cookie experiment- which I have not tried but I suspect will never rival my husband's secret recipe (and by secret I mean he won't even tell me). Then there's the ongoing battle about what makes a real red velvet cake, the "how to get macaroon feet" suggestion box, and the ever popular butter v.s. Crisco pie debate- I'm firmly planted in the butter camp.
And then there's the Black and White Cookie. Not quite cookie, not really cake, with 2 icings meeting harmoniously in the center, this NY deli staple has been on my to do list for quite awhile. Whenever I come across a recipe for it, I make a mental note to come back to that page and after reading through quite a few I narrowed it down to two versions. Due to her hometown advantage, Smitten Kitchen's recipe was the obvious choice, although fellow SoCal-er Joy The Baker's version ran a close second. So in the East v. West Coast Black And White Cookie Challenge, which recipe won out?

Like the cookie itself, I found success when the 2 recipes met in the middle- Deb's cookie base and white icing and Joy's chocolate glaze. Compromise is key.
Want to try them for yourself? Click here and here.

Oh, and in the interest of full disclosure, the impetus for my finally making these cookies was in honor of my tuxedo cats, Chessie & Cleo. Happy 1st Birthday guys!

Ok, the cookies are for me. They much prefer ground chicken.