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NYC's 5 Best Black & White Cookies

Few New York desserts are as iconic as black and white cookies. Almost every bakery, bagel store, and corner deli has them. Here are the five best -- notable enough to cross the boroughs for. By Siobhan Wallace.
Glaser's Bake Shop Black And White Cookie
(credit: Glaser's Bake Shop/Facebook)

See Also: NYC's 6 Best Bakeries

In the great Black and White Debate, the Upper East Side's Glaser's Bake Shop is nearly always mentioned. About to celebrate it's 100th anniversary, this venerable bakery makes fresh trays of rich frosting covered (not fondant!) black and whites throughout the day. The cake bottoms also have a little tinge of lemon to cut through the sweetness. At $1.50 each, they're one of the cheapest black and whites available.

William Greenberg's Black & White Cookies
(credit: William Greenberg)

Glaser's unofficial rival a few avenues away is William Greenberg's. You find batches of their version wrapped up in plastic for a quick grab and go. Greenberg's is a follower of covering the cookie in a harder fondant, and you can taste hints of coffee in their chocolate. Keep an eye out for their red velvet black and white cookie!

Nussbaum & Wu
(credit: Siobhan Wallace)

Morningside Heights' Columbia hangout, Nussbaum & Wu definitely wins the prize for fanciest black and white. Completely encasing the tops in fondant, and having a flat bottom cookie adds bonus points in the looks department. And by having a smaller cake, it's easy to have a cookie as a pick-me-up treat. If you feel like going even fancier, pick up one of their gold and black versions.

Ess a Bagel
(credit: Siobhan Wallace)

The East Side's Ess-a-Bagel is not only the home to some of the city's best bagels, they also know what they're doing when it comes to black and whites. They serve up a classic yellow cake covered in fondant, with a tinge of coffee in the chocolate to give it a little extra flavor. It's good to note that you can skip the regular bagel line when stopping by just for cookies.

Black & White Cookies From Joyce
(credit: Joyce Bakeshop)

One of the freshest black and whites is found out in Brooklyn's Prospect Heights at Joyce Bakeshop. They skip fondant altogether in favor of rich, creamy vanilla and chocolate frosting. This leaves a moist, decadent treat that you'll want to sit and relax with.

For the latest on the best food and desserts in the Tri-State, follow us on Twitter!

Siobhan Wallace is the co-founder of BlondieandBrownie.com.

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