I've never been a fan of the black-and-whites, but your mom would know about Chinese restaurant cookies. Back in the day in Brooklyn, you could get these after dinner (no, not fortune cookies). They are about 5" across and have a dollop of chocolate about the size of a silver dollar in the middle.
I see that some local bakeries still make them and I'll buy a few when I come across them. Ask your mom about these. I bet she remembers them.
Those Chinese restaurant cookies sound great, but I'm not sure that I've ever seen them. My favorite bakety cookie is the linzer (powdered jelly cookie). i haven't had one in a long time. They can get a bit messy.
