Half Moon Cookies
Not quite the traditional version, these are iced with buttercream instead of fondant.
Servings 20
Ingredients
- 1 cup 4.5 oz) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup 4 oz cake flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ salt
- 1 stick 4 oz unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon McCormick butter & nut extract or an extra ½ tsp vanilla
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 6 tablespoons buttermilk
Frosting
- 8 tablespoons butter softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar sifted
- ⅓ cup room temperature half & half or as needed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Mix the all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a bowl.
- In a mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the vanilla and second flavoring (butternut extract or lemon). Beat in the eggs one at a time. By hand, stir in the flour and milk alternately until well mixed.
- Drop heaping tablespoons of batter into neat, round mounds, spacing 2 inches apart, on the prepared baking sheets. Bake on the center and lower rack, alternating halfway through, for 12 minutes or until cookies appear set.
- Let cool completely on the baking sheets.
- To make the frosting, Beat the butter until creamy. Add powdered sugar and beat until well mixed, then add half and half 1 tablespoon at a time until icing is a spreadable consistency. Add the vanilla.
- Carefully measure out half the icing.
- To one portion of icing, add the cocoa powder and beat until smooth, adding more half and half as needed.
Notes
If you'd like a crumblier, denser cookie and/or don't have any buttermilk around, use regular milk, omit the baking soda and use a full teaspoon of baking powder.