Black and White Eclipse Cookies

Black and White Cookies are iconic in New York. They're so Retro! Lots of bakeries make them. These cookies are thick and more cake-like and covered with frosting that hardens. Usually half the cookie has white icing and half has chocolate (vanilla & chocolate).

To decorate them for today's Eclipse, frost them in different stages of the eclipse! Alternatively, you can make a double batch of the chocolate icing and decorate with different sized circles of chocolate (moon in front of the sun) Another possibility..and an easier way to celebrate. Grab a box of Pepperidge Farm Double Chocolate Cookies (or other big chocolate cookies) and Frost half or as much as you'd like, using the white icing recipe below.

BLACK AND WHITE ECLIPSE COOKIES

Ingredients
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 egg
1/3 cup buttermilk

Black and White Icing: 
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
3 Tbsp plus 2 tsp milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp Dark cocoa powder

Cookies: 
Heat oven to 350.
Cover 2 baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
In medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt.
In large bowl, beat together sugar and butter until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Beat in egg until well combined. On low speed, alternately beat in flour mixture and buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
Drop 1/4 cupfuls of dough onto prepared baking sheets, spacing 3 inches apart and spreading into large circles, about 4 inches across.
Bake for 13 minutes or until toothpick inserted in centers tests clean (they're like small cakes). Remove cookies to rack to cool.

Black and White Icing: 
In medium bowl, stir together confectioners’ sugar, 3 Tbsp milk, and vanilla until smooth but thick enough to coat cookie.
Set aside 1/2 cup icing in small bowl; stir cocoa powder and remaining 2 tsp milk into bowl until smooth.
Turn over cookies.
Spread white icing over half  (or as much as you'd like to frost to represent the eclipse) of each cookie, and chocolate icing over the rest.
Let stand at room temperature until set, about 1 hour.