Half Moon Cookies
Feb 12th, 2006 by Andrea | Print This Post
If you are from central and upstate NY you probably call these Half Moon Cookies. If you are from NYC, you probably know these as Black and Whites. No matter what you call them, they are tasty. They are more cake-like in texture than a cookie, and they come in both vanilla and chocolate versions, with the ingredients and preparation being very similar.
Equipment
stand mixer with paddle attachment
#40 cookie scoop (1-1/2 tablespoons), or you may use a larger #20 scoop if you want larger cookies (3 tablespoons)
baking sheets lined with silicone mat or parchment paper
Ingredients
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-1/4 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon salt
1-1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup milk, 2%
Butter Frosting
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
2-1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
3 tablespoons hot milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 ounce bittersweet chocolate, melted (reserve for chocolate batch of frosting)
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Cream together sugar and shortening. Add egg and vanilla and mix until combined.
3. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, salt, and baking powder. Add to wet ingredients and alternate with milk a little at a time and mix until thoroughly combined. The mixture will resemble a thick cake batter.
4. Scoop and drop onto lined cookie sheet. Shake cookie sheet slightly to allow batter to settle.
5. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes and remove from oven. Allow cookies to sit on pan for a minute or two before removing and placing on a wire rack to cool.
6. Turn the cookie over and frost the back side of the cookie with vanilla frosting on one half and chocolate frosting on the other half. I usually put on a thin layer of frosting, a crumb layer, at first and let it firm up. Then I add a second layer. This keeps the crumbs from mixing into the top layer of frosting and makes the cookies prettier.
Frosting
1. Combine all ingredients except the cocoa. Beat until smooth.
2. Divide mixture in half. Add melted chocolate to half of the frosting and stir well. Keep the frosting slightly warmer than room temperature for easier spreading.
Notes
Makes 30 cookies.
I wrap each cookie individually in plastic wrap once the frosting is set. This helps the cookies keep longer.
Do not refrigerate the cookies or they will be hard, like cold cake.
The frosting recipe is slightly different from others I’ve found. Most of the frosting recipes I’ve seen are simple water and sugar glazes, but my husband prefers the buttercream frosting.
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Source: adapted from a recipe in the Syracuse Post-Standard, 2003 and a few others I found on the Internet
Hello Andrea,
Thank you for having this where I could find it! My youngest daughter absolutely loves Half Moons, and yes, we live in Syracuse. But, I am not familiar with -
#40 cookie or ice cream scoop (or you may use a larger #20 scoop if you want larger cookies)
Can anything else be used? I would love to make these for her as a surprise treat. Thank you!
Sincerely,
Elizabeth
Hi Elizabeth! I updated the recipe to include the measurement for each scoop: #40 = 1-1/2 tablespoons, #20 = 3 tablespoons. I’ve always used the scoops for measuring convenience and because the cookies come out perfectly round. I hope this helps!
I am originally from Marcellus (NY) and used to buy these at NoJaims Supermarket, but nobody in NC knows how to make them. They’ve never even heard of Half Moon Cookies. Thanks for the recipe!
I’m thrilled to find this recipe…..I’m originally from Syracuse and still LOVE half-moon cookies from Harrison Bakery. Whenever I’m back in town, that’s a must stop! (And I know what you mean Erin…nobody even knows what a half-moon cookie is in the south!!)