Recipe Round Up: Half Moons

Here's another Upstate New York specialty for Ann's Recipe Round Up at Whatever Things... The big day is Thursday, May 15th and that's tomorrow! I've noticed a few international recipes surfacing among the Round Up group but I know there are more coming!

But back to my recipe for today. Half Moons are, as far as I know, the only unique food which actually started in the Utica-Rome area. I believe they started as a creation of Hemstrought's Bakery in Utica, to be precise, but their popularity caused them to be imitated by many others including lots of us home bakers. They are a large cakey sort of cookie which is turned over and frosted on the bottom side with half white frosting and half chocolate frosting. Hence, their name, Half Moon Cookies. So let's get to the recipe!

Cream together:
1 c. sour cream
1 1/2 c. sugar
3/4 c. shortening
Beat 2 eggs and add to mixture.
Add:
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
3 c. flour
Mix well.
Drop by rounded tablespoons, two per cookie, on a cookie sheet and spread a bit with the back of the spoon to make the cookies more round and flat.
Bake at 375 degrees F. for 12-15 minutes.

Now for the frosting. Cream 6 tablespoons of softened butter in a small bowl. Blend in 2 2/3 cups confectioner's sugar alternately with 1/3 cup milk. Add 1 tsp. vanilla and beat until creamy. Move just slightly less than half of the frosting to another bowl to be made into chocolate frosting. To the smaller amount, add 1/3 cup cocoa powder and 1-2 tablespoons of milk, beating until creamy.

Now frost the baked and cooled cookies remembering to turn them upside down. Enjoy with the beverage of your choice. Mine is tea, thank you very much.

Variation: You can make the cookies themselves chocolate by substituting 1/2 c. of cocoa powder for 1/2 c. of the flour.

Update: As requested, here's a picture of the finished product.