Black and Tans

Recipe by King Arthur Flour

Ingredients

Cookies:: 1cup (2 sticks, 8 ounces) butter; 1 3/4cups granulated sugar; 1teaspoon salt; 1teaspoon baking powder; 1teaspoon vanilla; 1/2teaspoon almond extract; 4large eggs; 2 1/2cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour; 1cup Hi-maize Fiber, or additional 3/4 cup flour; 1cup (8-ounces) milk
Chocolate Icing:: 1 3/4cups confectioners' sugar; 2tablespoons light corn syrup; 2tablespoons hot water; 1/2cup bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips or chunks, melted
Espresso Icing:: 2 1/4cups confectioners' sugar or glazing sugar; 2tablespoons light corn syrup; 2tablespoons hot water; 1tablespoon espresso powder

Preheat the oven to 375F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) a baking sheet, or lightly grease a muffin top pan.
To make the cookies: Beat together the butter, sugar, salt, baking powder, vanilla, and almond extract until fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Whisk together the flour and Hi-maize, and add alternately with the milk.
Drop the thick batter by 1/4-cupfuls onto the prepared pan of your choice. (Using the muffin-top pan makes consistently sized, thicker, more cake-like cookies.) The batter should form a circle about 2-inches in diameter. Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, until browned on the edges. Remove from the oven, and allow to cool completely before icing.
To make the chocolate icing: Sift the confectioners' sugar into a large bowl and add the corn syrup and hot water, stirring until smooth. Add the melted chocolate and mix until thoroughly combined. Spread half of each cookie with the icing, then place on a rack to set while you make the espresso icing.
To make the espresso icing: Follow the preceding directions, adding espresso powder instead of melted chocolate. Spread the other half of each cookie with the espresso icing, and place on a rack to set. Yield: 2 dozen large (3 1/2-inch) cookies.