Carrie's Lovely Cookies.

Last year my cousin Carrie was turning five. the big oh-five. Her birthday party was a classic for summers around here: pool party. Olivia and I were called in to life guard, which was exhausting. Some how we were wrangled into keeping little kids from hurting each other or drowning again this year. In honor of Carrie's 6th birthday I'm posting the picture of the cookies she requested for her birthday. Black and White cookies are a New York and family favorite. And Carrie asked for Black and [her signature] Pink cookies, some with "frinkles" (sprinkles) some without.

The recipe's from Zabar's, via Recipezaar:

• 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 lb unsalted butter, softened (2 sticks)
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon extract
• 2 1/2 cups cake flour
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Frosting

• 4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/3-1/2 cup boiling water
• 1 ounce bittersweet chocolate

1. Preheat the oven to 375.
2. Butter two baking sheets and set aside.
3. To make the cookies: In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar and butter.
4. Mix with mixer or hand until fluffy.
5. Add the eggs, milk, and vanilla and lemon extracts and mix until smooth.
6. In a medium bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, and salt and stir until mixed.
7. Add the dry ingredients to the wet in batches, stirring well to combine.
8. Using a soup spoon or ice cream scoop, drop spoonfuls of the dough 2 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheets.
9. Bake until the edges begin to brown, 20 to 30 minutes.
10. Allow to cool completely.
11. To make the frosting: Place the confectioners' sugar in a large bowl.
12. Gradually add enough of the boiling water to the sugar, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick and spreadable.
13. Remove half of the frosting to the top half of a double boiler set over simmering water and add the chocolate.*
14. Warm the mixture, stirring, until the chocolate is melted and the frosting is smooth.
15. Remove from the heat.
16. With a brush, coat half the cookie with chocolate frosting and the other half with white frosting.

*to the other half of the frosting I added a nice amount of red vegetable food dye, until it was the desired pink color, for Carrie's Special Pink and Black Cookies.