The Original Hemstrought Bakery Half Moon Cookie Recipes

HALF-MOON COOKIES (HEMSTROUGHT'S BAKERY) RECIPE - (4.3/5)

Steps:

• Hello all. Here is the actual recipe for Hemstrought's half-moons. I used to work at Hemstrought's back in the 70s when the store was on Oriskany Circle. It's since been demolished to make way for the highway. Bob Hemstrought was a nice guy, though not sure if he's still around now. He was the head baker. So... here you go! We all know it's worth the effort! Enjoy! FOR THE COOKIES: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Sift together flour, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium bowl and set aside. Put sugar, margarine, cocoa, and salt in bowl of standing mixer and beat on medium speed until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and continue to beat. Add half the milk, then half the flour mixture, beating after each addition until smooth; repeat with remaining milk and flour mixture. Spoon or pipe batter onto parchment-lined baking sheets, making 3-inch rounds 2-inches apart. Bake until cookies are set, about 12 minutes. Allow to cool, then remove from parchment. FOR THE FUDGE ICING: Melt bittersweet and semisweet chocolates and butter in the top of a double boiler over simmering water over medium heat. Add confectioners' sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, salt, and 6 tbsp. boiling water and mix to a smooth, stiff paste with a rubber spatula. Thin icing with up to 8 tbsp. more boiling water. Icing should fall from a spoon in thick ribbons. Keep icing warm in a double boiler over low heat. FOR THE BUTTERCREAM ICING: Put sugar, butter, shortening, milk, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of a standing mixer. Beat on low speed to mix, then increase to medium and beat until light and fluffy. TO FROST THE COOKIES: Using a metal spatula, spread about 1 tbsp. of warm fudge icing on half of the flat side of each cookie. Spread the other half of each cookie with 1 heaping tbsp. buttercream icing.

THE "ORIGINAL HALF MOON COOKIES"

Steps:

• Cream together shortening and sugar and then add beaten egg and vanilla.
• sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg.
• add alternately mixture of sifted flour ingreidents and the soured milk to the creamed shortening mixture batter should be thick drop by tablespoons (one on top of the other to give it height one unlevel on bottom one level on top) onto cookie trays bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes until lightly brown on bottoms.
• cool completely and frost one side with pure white frosting and the other with dark chocolate frosting you can make your own or used canned.
• If the batter comes out soupy or sticky I add additional flour

HALF MOON COOKIES (WHITE)

Steps:

• Cream butter, shortening and sugars together.You can use all butter, or all shortening if you prefer, but the texture and shape will come out a little different.
• Mix in eggs and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients together in a separate bowl.
• Combine in dry ingredients and sour milk, alternating until mixed well.
• Drop from Tablespoons onto greased cookie sheet (About 1/8 cup is the right size) Your cookie sheet should not be warped, or else your cookies won't come out nice and round. Allow plenty of room for the cookies to spread. Start with 4 cookies to a sheet and then see if you can increase to fitting 6 cookies.
• Bake at 375 F for 12-15 minutes.
• Frost the BOTTOM of the cookies. Half with white frosting, half with chocolate frosting with frosting recipe #188454.

HALF-MOON COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together flours, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, beat butter on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup granulated sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla. Add flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with 2 additions of buttermilk, beating until just combined (do not overmix). Refrigerate dough until firm, about 1 hour.
• Roll 1- or 1 1/2-tablespoon pieces of dough into balls; place 2 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake until bottoms turn golden, rotating sheets halfway through, about 10 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks; let cool completely. Cookies can be stored at room temperature up to 1 day.
• Cook berries and remaining 1 tablespoon granulated sugar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring and crushing berries until soft and juices have been released. Pass mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible, and let cool completely.
• Whisk together confectioners' sugar, honey, lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons water in a small bowl. Transfer half of icing to another bowl, and whisk in 1 teaspoon more water. Divide remaining portion in half again, and stir 1/2 teaspoon berry puree into one part, and cocoa powder and 3/4 teaspoon water into other. Spread white icing on half of each cookieâ??s flat side and fruit or chocolate icing on other half. Let set 30 minutes before serving.