Let’s clarify a couple things before I start this article. One, it appears based on my research that the origin of the cookie is actually in Utica (possibly at Hemstrought’s Bakery)but that is fine. According to major sports media companies, New York City is considered a home game for Syracuse so if that is the case, Utica must be one of the spare rooms in the house.

Secondly, as noted in the video, those in NYC call them Black and Whites while others in Upstate/Central New York call them half-moons. As you may have noticed by my blog post title, I call them Half-Moons and will always do so but Duff had the best video I saw, so he gets the mention.

Now, this whole blog post started over a discussion with my Twitter friend and local foodie Margaret McCormick, who has a great blog titled Eat First. She was talking about them and I realized after discussing the topic with her that I have never brought them up on this blog despite them being a Syracuse area treat that I truly LOVE! In fact, I still have memories of my family, especially my aunt Joyce making some of the softest, most delicious half-moons you will ever eat (they even sent them to me when I was in the Army and I am grateful for that gift from home). However, since her aneurysm and car accident, sadly she is unable to do it as much as she did but it is OK because we all remember how great they were and appreciate her time making those big batches just so we could wipe it out in mere minutes when possible.

The great people at syracuse.com have done a couple articles on the topic featuring Mimi’s Bakery and Harrison Bakery such as this and this. I can even give you the link to what is supposedly the original recipe from the originators themselves, Hemstrought’s Bakery.

Now since I am in North Carolina, I am unsure who has the best ones so I used Twitter to ask around and found numerous great responses. I will admit that Harrison’s seemed to get the most votes but others seemed to like other places. Here are the tweets and you decide who you agree with:

‏@Cuseaholic
hemstrought in utica no doubt

‏@meghanwaslike
I can’t eat them anymore but I’ve always been partial to Harrison Bakery. And their choc chips and brownies…

@ssmorol
grew up on @HarrisonBakery half moons, and I’ve never had any that beat them.

‏@MarknDaCUSE
@HarrisonBakery has the best #halfmoon cookies hands down. Best brownies too if you are so inclined!

‏@NationOfOrange
Wegman’s pumpkin half moons in the fall are fantastic.
Geddes bakery does a good job as well.

‏@MBorkowski
Lyncourt Bakery is pretty damn good. Right down the street from me, too.

‏

@katemillercny
we don’t have @Wegman’s in #Utica – we shop @Chanatrys for #halfmoon

So there are some of the choices mentioned on Twitter (though I am partial to my aunt’s personally and Harrison has said to sample them before I judge), who is your favorite half-moon supplier? And I have to ask, do you go milk or coffee with your half-moons?