{Black & White Cookies}

What's black and white and craved all over New York? = Luscious chocolate and vanilla iced cookies! They are the size of your hand & are more like small cakes than crunchy or chewy cookies!

Here's a Low-Fat version of the cookie:

Low-Fat Black & White Cookies

Ingredients:

Cookie:

* 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
* 1 cup sugar
* 1/4 cup butter, softened
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 teaspoon lemon juice
* 2 large egg whites

Icing:

* 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, divided
* 3 tablespoons milk, skim milk or light cream, divided
* 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa (melted chocolate is also acceptable)

Directions:

Cookie:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.

2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

3. Set applesauce in a fine sieve to drain while you prepare the other ingredients.

4. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.

5. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth, 1-2 minutes. Beat in applesauce, vanilla and lemon juice. Add in egg whites and beat until well combined. Stir in flour mixture until batter is smooth.

6. Drop batter two tablespoonfuls at a time onto the prepared baking sheet. Smooth slightly to form nice, round circles.

7. Bake for 10 minutes, until set but not browned.

8. Allow to cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Icing:

9. When cookies are cool, prepare the icing. Sift 3/4 cup confectioners sugar into two small bowls. Add 1 tbsp milk and the almond and vanilla extracts to one bowl and stir until smooth. Add cocoa and 2 tbsp milk to the other bowl and stir until smooth.

10. Using a small knife and working over the bowls to catch drips, spread each icing over half of each cookie. Set on a rack until icing is set, then store cookies in an airtight container.