Half Moon Cookie Recipe

User Reviews

4.8

210 reviews
Excellent
  • Prep Time

    10 mins

  • Cook Time

    10 mins

  • Frosting TIme

    10 mins

  • Total Time

    1 hr

  • Servings

    10

  • Calories

    545 kcal

  • Course

    Dessert

  • Cuisine

    American

Half Moon Cookie Recipe

Half moon cookies are upstate NY cookies frosted with half vanilla & half chocolate buttercream. Different from NYC Black & Whites because of the cake like texture and creamy frosting.

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Ingredients

Servings

Cookie Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 6 tablespoons shortening
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups flour

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
  • 1-2 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • pinch salt

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1-2 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • pinch salt
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Instructions

Make Cookies

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare cookie sheets by lining them with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
  2. Combine the sour cream, shortening, and sugar in a mixer bowl. Beat at medium speed until light and fluffy.
  3. Add the egg and vanilla and mix well.
  4. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir to mix the dry ingredients.
  5. Add half of the flour mixture to the creamed mixture. Beat until just combined. Then add the remaining flour mixture and beat until it is mixed in. The batter will be thinner than most cookie dough but thicker than cake batter.
  6. Drop about 1/4 cup of batter onto the prepared baking sheet. Use a spatula or knife to spread it into rounds about 2 1/2 to 3 inches in size. Leave space between the cookies. You will only be able to fit 3 or 4 cookies per sheet.
  7. Bake them in a preheated oven for 12-15 minutes. Halfway through the baking time, pull the sheets out and change the position of the sheets on the oven racks. This will help ensure they bake evenly.
  8. They are done when the middle is firm, and the bottoms are light brown.
  9. Let the cookies cool on the sheets for 5 minutes. Then move them to a wire rack to finish cooling. Don't frost them until they are completely cool.

Make Icing

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting:

  1. Combine the softened butter, vanilla, powdered sugar, and pinch of salt in a mixing bowl.
  2. Whip it on high speed until light and creamy.
  3. Add the heavy cream a tablespoon at a time until the frosting reaches a spreadable consistency.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting:

  1. Combine the softened butter, vanilla, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and a pinch of salt in a mixing bowl.
  2. Whip it on high speed until it is creamy.
  3. Add the heavy cream a tablespoon at a time until the frosting reaches a spreadable consistency.

Frost

  1. To frost the cookies, first, flip them upside down. The frosting goes on the flat bottoms of the cookies, not the domed tops.
  2. Use a frosting spatula to spread half of the cookie with vanilla icing and the other half with chocolate. Most people put a thicker layer of chocolate frosting than vanilla on the cookies.

Notes

  • You can substitute your favorite buttercream icing recipe or use store-bought frosting.
  • Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before removing them.
  • Keep the consistency of the icing thick so that it is easier to make a clear division between the black and white icing.
  • Frost the flat bottoms of the cookies, not the domed tops.
  • Since buttercream frosting doesn't harden, these store best before they are frosted. The unfrosted cookies keep at room temperature for 3-4 days. Frosted ones keep for 1 day at room temperature or 3-4 days if refrigerated. The frosting can be stored in the refrigerator for a few weeks.
  • You can substitute your favorite buttercream icing recipe or use store-bought frosting.
  • Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before removing them.
  • I like to use Dark Chocolate Cocoa powder for the chocolate frosting to make it fudgier.
  • Keep the consistency of the icing thick so that it is easier to make a clear division between the black and white icing.
  • Frost the flat bottoms of the cookies, not the domed tops.
  • Since buttercream frosting doesn't harden, these store best before they are frosted. The unfrosted cookies keep at room temperature for 3-4 days. Frosted ones keep for 1 day at room temperature or 3-4 days if refrigerated. The frosting can be stored in the refrigerator for a few weeks.

Nutrition Information

Show Details
Calories 545kcal (27%) Carbohydrates 67g (22%) Protein 3g (6%) Fat 30g (46%) Saturated Fat 16g (80%) Polyunsaturated Fat 3g Monounsaturated Fat 9g Trans Fat 2g Cholesterol 75mg (25%) Sodium 128mg (5%) Potassium 125mg (4%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 51g (102%) Vitamin A 707IU (14%) Vitamin C 0.1mg (0%) Calcium 45mg (5%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 10Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 545 kcal

% Daily Value*

Calories 545kcal 27%
Carbohydrates 67g 22%
Protein 3g 6%
Fat 30g 46%
Saturated Fat 16g 80%
Polyunsaturated Fat 3g 18%
Monounsaturated Fat 9g 45%
Trans Fat 2g 100%
Cholesterol 75mg 25%
Sodium 128mg 5%
Potassium 125mg 3%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 51g 102%
Vitamin A 707IU 14%
Vitamin C 0.1mg 0%
Calcium 45mg 5%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

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210 reviews
Excellent

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