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3.84 from 6 votes
Half Moon Cookies
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Half Moon Cookies - Guest Post by Brad Nierenberg
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
12 mins
Total Time
42 mins
 
Course: Dessert
Servings: 8
Author: Jeanie and Lulu's Kitchen
Ingredients
FOR THE COOKIES
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 tablespoon white vinegar
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 stick butter softened to room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 whole eggs
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
FOR THE VANILLA FROSTING
  • 1/2 stick butter softened to room temperature
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 3 tablespoons milk
FOR THE CHOCOLATE FROSTING
  • 1 stick salted butter
  • 2 ounces unsweetened bakers chocolate
  • 2/3 cup sour cream
  • 1/3 cup cocoa powder
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
  1. First, make the sour milk for the cookies. It basically means it becomes buttermilk. Combine the milk and white vinegar in a bowl and mix them together well. Set it aside for 10 minutes. Then pre-heat the oven to 350 and line two sheet trays with silicone mats or parchment paper. Prepare the dry ingredients by whisking the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt together in a bowl. Set them aside as well.
  2. Set up a stand mixer with the paddle attachment and combine the butter and sugar in its bowl. Beat them together until fluffy. Pour in the two eggs, maple syrup, vanilla, and sour milk one at a time, letting each one get mixed in before pouring in the next. Finally, turn the speed to low and slowly add in the dry ingredients just until it becomes a dough.
  3. Use a cookie scoop to drop perfect little mounds of the dough evenly on the cookie sheets. The amount of cookies yielded will depend on how big you want the cookies. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, until baked through and slightly crisp around the edges. Let them cool completely. While the cookies bake and cool, make the black and white frostings.
  4. You will need to wash out the stand mixer bowl and paddle attachment. Then start with the vanilla (white) buttercream. Beat the butter, vanilla and salt together in the mixer until it is fluffy. Turn the speed to low and slowly add in the powdered sugar until it becomes a luscious frosting. Then slowly pour in the milk to thin it out a bit and make it shiny. Transfer it to a bowl or container and set it aside. Then make the chocolate frosting, washing out the bowl and paddle attachment again.
  5. Combine the chocolate and butter in a microwave safe bowl. Melt them together in the microwave for a minute and stir them together. If needed, microwave for another 30 seconds to make them completely smooth. Let it cool for a few minutes. Pour the ganache into the stand mixer bowl and mix it well with the sour cream, cocoa powder and vanilla. Then slowly add in the powdered sugar. Take the cooled cookies and frost each of them with vanilla frosting on one half and chocolate on the other half. Serve immediately!