NEW YORK BLACK AND WHITES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350, grease several baking sheets or coat with nonstick spray.
• In a medium bowl, thouroughly stir together the flour, salt and baking soda, set aside.
• In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed beat together the sugar, butter and shortening until well blended and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
• Add the eggs, vanilla, corn syrup and lemon extract and beat until evenly incorporated.
• Beat in half of the flour mixture until evenly incorporated.
• On low speed, beat in the sour cream.
• Beat or stir in the remaining flour mixture just until well blended and smooth.
• Let dough stand to firm up for about 5 minutes.
• Using a scant 1/4 c measure of dough, shape into balls with lightly breased hands.
• Place on the baking sheets about 3-1/2 apart.
• Using your hands, press and pat the balls into about 3-1/4" in diameter.
• Bake the cookies, 1 sheet at a time on the middle rack 10-14 minutes unti lightly browned at the edges and the tops spring back when touched.
• Transfer the sheet to a wire rack until the cookies firm up a bit, about 1-2 minutes.
• Transfer the cookies to wire racks using a spatula, let stand until completely cooled.
• For the Fondants---------.
• In a medium heavy saucepan, bring 1/2 c water and the corn syrup just to a boil over medium high heat.
• Remove from the heat and stir in the powdered sugar and anilla until completely smooth.
• Place the chocolate into a small deep bowl.
• Pour 2/3 c of the hot vanilla fondant over the chocolate.
• Stir until the chocolate is partially melted.
• Pour another 1/2 c of the vanilla fondant over the chocolate.
• Stirring constantly, thin the chocolate fondant out by adding 3-4 Tbls of hot water a little at a time, should be fluid but not runny.
• Stir until the chocolate melts completely and the water is incorporated.
• To Ice---------.
• Set the wire racks with the cookies over waxed paper to catch the drips.
• Using a small, wide bladed spatula, spreader or table knife, immediately ice half of each cookie with the chocolate fondant.
• If the fondant stiffenes as you are working, thin it by adding a few drops of hot water and stirring, if it cools completely, rewarm over low heat, stirring.
• If necessary, adjust the consistency of the vanilla fondant by stirring in additional powdered sugar or hot water until fluid but not runny.
• Ice the 2nd half of each cookie with the vanill fondant.
• Let the cookies stand until the icing sets, 2-4 hours.
• Store the cookies in a single layer or between wax paper in an airtight container for up to 1 week or in the freezer for 1 month.
• Like they'll last that long!