The History of The Half-Moon Cookie

The History Behind The Half-Moon Cookie

 

UTICA, N.Y. -- Almost everyone has heard of, seen or tasted the famous Half-Moon cookie, but who created this delicious treat? It’s origins can be traced back to Hemstrought’s bakery in Utica, N.Y. 

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Also called the black and white cookie, which comes from down state, the name Half-Moon is more common upstate. The two names are often swapped out for one another. But there are significant differences between the two. The black and white cookie is usually a stale cake like version with chocolate and vanilla fondant on top. The Half-Moon is moist cake with vanilla buttercream and fudge frosting on top. The proof is in the taste, says an article in Food, New York.

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Harry Hemstrought opened his bakery in 1920 on Genesee Street. In 1927, the bakery was moved to Columbia Street and in 1967 a plant was opened on Oriskany Street.  The original Hemstrought’s bakery closed a few years ago. The family sold the name to a local commercial bakery, and today they have a frozen products division where fresh baked Half-Moons are flash frozen and sold for stocking freezers, according to hemstraughts.com.

 

Third owner of Hemstrought's Bakery, Pat Agen said the original owner, Harry Hemstarught, passed the business down to his son, Bob Hemstraught, and they then sold it to him (Mr. Agen), some years later. When asked if he knew why they decided to let the bakery out of the family, Mr. Agen said he wasn’t sure. 

 

In an article on recipecircus.com, Sonia explained that before the doors closed on the bakery, Hemstrought's baked 12,000 of those delicious cookies every, single, day. Each of Hemstrought’s cookies is a circle of soft, chewy chocolate with a layer of half fudge, half vanilla icing on top. The half moons would be mixed from scratch in a 40-quart mixer, piped onto baking sheets and baked. 

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Even though the bakery has closed, the new owners still use Hemstrought’s original 1920 recipe. And according to Mr. Agen, they will be opening a new store front, soon. 

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So, where can you go now to get your fix? Other than the grocery store or ordering online, you can go right to Holland Farms. Another bakery in Utica, famous for their Half-Moon’s. Although they did not invent the cookie, they have been in the business since 1955. Third generation owner, Heather Potrzeba said in an interview with me, that while they didn’t invent the Half-Moon, they were one of the first in the area to make them. When asked what makes their Half-Moon stand out among the others, Potrzeba said, the richness of their cookie makes it almost fudge like.