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Welcome back to Well-Read Wednesday, where I explore recipes from our favorite culinary mysteries! Today, I’m diving into another delightful recipe from Joanne Fluke’s “Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder,” featuring Hannah Swensen, my favorite small-town baker-turned-sleuth.

These Black & Whites are wonderfully decadent treats that transform magically during baking. Starting as a rich, deeply chocolaty dough, they emerge from the oven as tender cookies with a striking appearance. Each one features a delicate, crackled surface dusted with powdered sugar, creating an elegant contrast between the dark cookie and its snowy white coating.

Last week, I tried our murder-solving baker’s recipe for Regency Ginger Crisps. To read more, pop over to my blog post Well-Read Wednesday – Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder – Part 2.

Recipe Summary

Her recipes typically serve large groups, and true to the books, a crowd always appears whenever a fresh batch comes out of the oven!

These scrumptious recipes from The Cookie Jar have caught my eye, and I’ll be testing several in the coming weeks. I’ve scaled down each recipe to serve one or two people and adjusted some ingredients to match my taste. Let me know what you think!

• Chocolate Chip Crunch Cookies
• Regency Ginger Crisps
• Black & Whites
• Chocolate-Covered Cherry Delights
• Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookies
• Lovely Lemon Bar Cookies

You can find the original recipes in Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke. To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Joanne Fluke’s bestselling culinary capers, a deluxe collector’s edition was released February 25, 2025.

Black & Whites

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup chocolate chips (I used dark semi-sweet chocolate chips)
• 3 tablespoons butter (3/8 stick)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar (or white sugar with 1/2 tablespoon molasses mixed in)
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup flour (not sifted)
• approx. 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar (powdered sugar) in a small bowl

Directions

• Do not preheat oven yet—dough must be chilled before baking.
• Melt chocolate chips with butter (Microwave on high power for 2 minutes, then stir until smooth.)
• Mix in sugar and let cool. Add egg and mix well. Mix in vanilla, baking powder, and salt. Add flour and mix well.
• Chill dough for at least 4 hours. (Overnight is even better.)
• When you’re ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°F, rack in the middle position.
• Roll walnut-sized dough balls with your hands. (Messy—wear plastic gloves if you wish.) Drop the dough balls into a bowl with the powdered sugar and roll them around until they’re coated. (If the dough gets too warm, stick it back in refrigerator until you can handle it again.)
• Place the balls on a greased cookie sheet, 12 to a standard sheet. (They will flatten when they bake.) Bake at 350°F for 12 to 14 minutes. Let them cool on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes, then remove them to wire rack to finish cooling.

Yield – 1.5–2 dozen cookies

Hannah’s Notes –

• Hannah developed Black and Whites because of the new squad cars the Eden Lake police had just acquired.
• Made these for the Winnetka County Sheriff’s Department Open House, in honor of their four new cruisers.

Baking Tips for Perfect Black and Whites

• Don’t skip the chilling time—it’s crucial for achieving the right texture and preventing the cookies from spreading too much
• Use room temperature eggs for better incorporation into the dough
• Make sure your baking powder is fresh—test by putting a small amount in warm water; it should fizz vigorously
• For the cleanest coating, roll cookies in powdered sugar twice
• Watch carefully during the last few minutes of baking—they should be just set but still slightly soft in the center
• Store in an airtight container with wax paper between layers to preserve the powdered sugar coating

Troubleshooting:

• If cookies spread too much: chill dough longer or add 1-2 tablespoons more flour
• If cookies are too dry: reduce baking time by 1-2 minutes next batch
• If powdered sugar disappears after baking: let cookies cool completely before rolling in sugar a second time

Recipe Review

These cookies are absolutely delightful! I’m definitely adding this recipe to my favorites. Not only are they easy to make, but they’re incredibly delicious—tender on the outside with a wonderfully chewy, melt-in-your-mouth center.

Happy Baking Mystery Lovers!

Next week, we’ll explore another recipe from our favorite amateur sleuth’s kitchen—Chocolate-Covered Cherry Delights. Until then, keep reading and keep baking!

Let me know what you think about the book and the Black and Whites in the comments below! I’d love to hear from you!

Thank you for visiting with me at
Down Home at Dee’s

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Yield: 1 - 1 1/2 dozen

Black & Whites

Print

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 3 tablespoons butter (3/8 stick)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar (or white sugar with 1/2 tablespoon molasses mixed in)
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup flour (not sifted)
• approx. 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar (powdered sugar) in a small bowl

Instructions

1. Do not preheat oven yet—dough must be chilled before baking.
2. Melt chocolate chips with butter (Microwave on high power for 2 minutes, then stir until smooth.)
3. Mix in sugar and let cool. Add egg and mix well. Mix in vanilla, baking powder, and salt. Add flour and mix well.
4. Chill dough for at least 4 hours. (Overnight is even better.)
5. When you’re ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°F, rack in the middle position.
6. Roll walnut-sized dough balls with your hands. (Messy—wear plastic gloves if you wish.) Drop the dough balls into a bowl with the powdered sugar and roll them around until they’re coated. (If the dough gets too warm, stick it back in refrigerator until you can handle it again.)
7. Place the balls on a greased cookie sheet, 12 to a standard sheet. (They will flatten when they bake.) Bake at 350°F for 12 to 14 minutes. Let them cool on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes, then remove them to wire rack to finish cooling.

Notes

Hannah’s Notes –

• Hannah developed Black and Whites because of the new squad cars the Eden Lake police had just acquired.
• Made these for the Winnetka County Sheriff’s Department Open House, in honor of their four new cruisers.