Mini Black & White Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 2  1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2/3 cup skim milk
• 3 large egg whites
• 2 cups powdered sugar, divided
• 1/4 cup boiling water,or more if necessary, divided
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa

Makes 30 Servings

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat 2 cookie sheets with cooking spray or cover with parchment paper.
2. Beat butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl, using an electric mixer, until light and fluffy. Add whole eggs, one at a time, and incorporate with mixer; blend in 1 teaspoon of vanilla and lemon zest.
3. Mix together flour, baking powder and salt in a separate medium bowl.
4. Add half of flour mixture to butter mixture; add milk and beat well. Add remaining flour mixture and beat well.
5. Whip egg whites in a medium bowl, with a wire whisk, until soft peaks form; gently fold egg whites into cookie batter.
6. Drop batter by heaping teaspoons onto cookie sheets; batter should remain in high mounds. Make sure to leave at least 2-inches of space between each mound of batter.
7. Bake cookies until edges turn slightly brown, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on cookie sheets for 1 to 2 minutes; move to wire racks and allow to cool completely.
8. Meanwhile, to make vanilla icing, combine 1 cup of powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons of boiling water and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla in a medium bowl; beat until smooth. Using a pastry brush or flexible spatula, paint half of each cooled cookie with vanilla icing. (NOTE: Make sure to ice the flat side of each cookie. You should always use the vanilla icing first)
9. To make chocolate icing, combine remaining cup of powdered sugar, cocoa and 2 tablespoons of boiling water in a medium bowl; beat until smooth. Add a little more water, a teaspoon at a time, if icing is too dry. Using the same brush or spatula, paint the second half of the flat side of each cookie. Allow icing to dry completely before serving.

WW POINTS VALUE: 3 pts (2 cookies per serving)

Note: This recipe appears on www.weightwatchers.com. Who does not loves cookies? Come on?! Black and white cookies are an American classic and so delicious. You can make these classic cookies at home and they will be just as delicious as the ones you buy at your local bakery or supermarket. Although I should warn you that when I made the vanilla and chocolate icings, they were very gooey but delicious. You can eat the cookies plain and they will still be yummy or you can dip the cookies into whichever icing you feel like.