Black and white cookie

A black and white cookie.

A black and white cookie, also known as a half and half cookie or a half moon, is a soft, sponge cake-like shortbread which is iced on one half with vanilla fondant, and on the other half by chocolate fondant. It is similar to a neenish tart, although neenish tarts are filled with a cream center, whereas a black and white cookie is not.

The black and white cookie is often seen as a particularly "New York" snack.

Names

Black and White cookies are also known as half-moons and "half-and-halfs". In Germany where these cookies usually are completely iced with the vanilla or with chocolate fondant only, are called Amerikaner. On October 19, 2008, Barack Obama dubbed them Unity Cookies at a deli in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

History and half-moons

There is some confusion as to the origin of the black-and-white cookie and the sometimes synonymous name half-moon. The name half-moon is common in Upstate New York and New England. In New York City, however, one will find only Black-and-whites. However, while the two names are often used interchangeably, there may actually be considerable differences between the two, most notably in the textures of the base and the icing.

Half-moons originated in Utica, New York at Hemstrought's Bakery in the early part of the 20th century. Half-moons most often come with a chocolate cake base, dark fudge icing on one side and sugary white frosting for the "half moon" side. Hemstrought's also made a vanilla cake base with fudge and white frosting, as well as full 'vanilla moons' and 'coconut moons,' with either a chocolate or vanilla cake base. The original Hemstrought's half moons bakery closed their doors a few years ago however they still bake half moons for local supermarkets, where they are still available. When the bakery closed, the family sold the name only to a local commercial bakery for the supermarket production of half moons.

In the Seinfeld episode "The Dinner Party", Jerry eats a black and white cookie while waiting in a bakery with Elaine. He compares the cookie to a metaphor for racial harmony and that people should "Look to the cookie!"

See also

• Cuisine of New York City

External links

• Food Comeback: All New York in One Big Cookie