• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
The Art of Baking
  • About Me
  • Recipes
  • Baking Resources
  • Blogging Resources
  • Contact
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About Me
  • Recipes
  • Baking Resources
  • Blogging Resources
  • Contact
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • About Me
    • Recipes
    • Baking Resources
    • Blogging Resources
    • Contact
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Lemon Half Moon Cookies

    March 18, 2022 by Megan Leave a Comment

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Lemon Half Moon Cookies. The classic New York City cookie with a blast of citrusy lemon flavor. Soft baked cookies with a cake-like texture, topped with the classic frosting of half vanilla and half lemon! These cookies are light and airy and packed with mouth puckering lemon flavor!

    lemon half moon cookies

    So I did not realize that half-moon cookies were only a New York thing until I left upstate New York and could not find them anywhere! So I decided to make my own and figured I could have some fun with it. Since spring is right around the corner, I am craving lemon! If you are looking for more lemon recipes check these out:

    Rosemary Lemon Bars

    Lemon Lavender Shortbread Cookies

    Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

    lemon cookies

    WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS RECIPE

    • Super easy to make
    • The cookies are soft, pillowy, and delicious
    • The vanilla frosting is decadent
    • The lemon frosting is tart and packed with lemon flavor

    OTHER HALF-MOON COOKIE FLAVOR COMBINATIONS TO TRY

    • Chocolate and vanilla. You could always stick with the basics and go with half chocolate frosting and half vanilla frosting. It is kind of plain but there must be a reason it has stayed iconic for all these years.
    • Strawberry and lemon. Think of a strawberry lemonade type flavor. Half of the cookie will have lemon frosting and the other half of the cookie will have strawberry frosting. Delicious!
    • Peanut butter and jelly. Half peanut butter frosting and the other half can bee a jelly based frosting of your choice like grape jelly or strawberry jelly. Honestly this sounds amazing!

    KEY INGREDIENTS AND SUBSITUTIONS

    • BUTTER. The salted butter gives these cookies a soft buttery taste and texture. That extra layer of salt will balance out the sweetness perfectly.
    • SUGAR. White sugar gives these cookies the best texture and perfect level of sweetness.
    • SOUR CREAM. This is a key ingredient. The sour cream makes these cookies SUPER moist and airy.
    • LEMON. This adds a bright citrus flavor. Use the zest in the cookies and the juice in the frosting. If you don't want to juice lemons, you can use bottled lemon juice.
    • POWDERED SUGAR. Using powdered sugar makes for a velvety smooth frosting.
    • CORN SYRUP. The corn syrup is important in making the frosting hold up.
    • YELLOW FOOD COLORING. Totally for decorative purposes. This makes the cookies fun and colorful and matches the lemon flavor. I would say start with 4 drops and add more if desired. 

    STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

    Half Moon Cookies

    • In a large bowl, add your butter and sugar. Mix with a spatula until combined and smooth. Add your egg, vanilla, and lemon zest. Mix until combined.
    • In the same bowl sift together your flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; sifting about half of this mixture into the bowl. Mix until evenly combined.
    • Add about half of your sour cream to the bowl and mix until combined. Sift the remainder of your flour mixture into the bowl and mix until combined. Add the remaining sour cream and mix until combined.
    • Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
    • Using a ¼ cup measuring cup, scoop out your cookies and place them on your prepared cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart. Dunk you fingers in water and then smooth out the tops of your cookie balls. DO NOT FLATTEN.
    • Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.
    • Let cool completely.
    ingredients
    dry ingredients
    wet ingredients
    half your flour
    half your sour cream
    rest of your flour and sour cream

    Vanilla Frosting

    • In a medium bowl, combine your powdered sugar, salt, vanilla, milk, and corn syrup. Mix until combined.

    Lemon Frosting

    • In a medium bowl, combine your powdered sugar, salt, vanilla, milk, lemon juice, and corn syrup. Mix until combined. Add your food coloring and mix until color is even.

    Frost your cookies

    • You will be frosting the bottoms of these cookies! Flip your cookies over, and start frosting on the flat side. Using a spatula, frost half of each cookie with the vanilla frosting and then frost the other half with the lemon frosting. The goal is to make it look like half moons!
    • Let the frosting set/harden completely. About 1 hour.
    bake
    flip over
    frost

    BAKING TIPS

    1. Alternate your flour and your sour cream when mixing your batter in order to great a super tender cake like cookie!
    2. This recipe uses more baking powder than baking soda because they are supposed to rise upward and they are supposed to have a cake like texture.

    FAQ

    Why do I have to alternate my flour and sour cream?

    This allows for more air to be incorporated into the dough and creates a super tender and soft cookie!

    Do I need to add corn syrup to the frosting?

    Yes. This is key in creating a frosting that holds up.

    Do I frost the bottoms of the cookies?

    Yes, you are frosting the flat bottoms which then become the top of the cookie.

    FREEZING AND STORING

    These cookies should be stored wrapped in plastic wrap, and placed in an air tight container for up to 3 days. You can freeze them like this for up to 3 months.

    Lastly, if you try out these Lemon Half Moon Cookies, be sure to leave a comment/rating on how it turned out. I love hearing from you guys and will try my best to reply to every comment! And don’t forget to tag me on Instagram!

    Close view of Lemon Half Moon Cookies with a bite.

    Lemon Half Moon Cookies

    The classic New York City cookie with a blast of citrusy lemon flavor. Soft baked cookies with a cake-like texture, topped with the classic frosting of half vanilla and half lemon! These cookies are light and airy and packed with mouth puckering lemon flavor!
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 20 mins
    Cook Time 12 mins
    cooling 1 hr
    Total Time 32 mins
    Servings 9

    Ingredients
      

    Half Moon Cookies

    • 1 ¾ cup flour
    • ½ teaspoon baking powder
    • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • ½ cup salted butter (very soft)
    • 1 cup sugar
    • 1 large egg
    • 2 teaspoon vanilla
    • ½ cup sour cream
    • zest of one lemon

    Vanilla Icing

    • 2 cups powdered sugar
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla
    • 2 tablespoon milk
    • 1 tablespoon corn syrup

    Lemon Icing

    • 2 cups powdered sugar
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla
    • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
    • 1 tablespoon milk
    • 1 tablespoon corn syrup
    • 4-5 drops yellow food coloring

    Instructions
     

    Cookies

    • In a large bowl, add your butter and sugar. Mix with a spatula until combined and smooth. Add your egg, vanilla, and lemon zest. Mix until combined.
    • In the same bowl, sift together your flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; sifting about half of this mixture into the bowl. Mix until evenly combined.
    • Add about half of your sour cream to the bowl and mix until combined. Sift the remainder of your flour mixture into the bowl and mix until combined. Add the remaining sour cream and mix until combined.
    • Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
    • Using a ¼ cup measuring cup, scoop out your cookies and place them on your prepared cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart. Dunk you fingers in water and then smooth out the tops of your cookie balls. DO NOT FLATTEN THEM.
    • Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.
    • Let cool completely.

    Vanilla Frosting

    • In a medium bowl, combine your powdered sugar, salt, vanilla, milk, and corn syrup. Mix until combined.

    Lemon Frosting

    • In a medium bowl, combine your powdered sugar, salt, vanilla, milk, lemon juice, and corn syrup. Mix until combined. Add your food coloring and mix until color is even.

    Frost your cookies

    • You will be frosting the bottoms of these cookies! Flip your cookies over and start frosting on the flat side. Using a spatula, frost half of each cookie with the vanilla frosting and then frost the other half with the lemon frosting.
    • Let the frosting set/harden completely (about 1 hour). Enjoy!
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
    « Extra Fudgy Cosmic Brownies
    Cinnamon Cupcakes with Cinnamon Sugar Frosting »

    Filed Under: Cookies, Easter, Recipes, Spring

    Subscribe

    for your weekly recipe fix.

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hey, I'm Megan! My recipes are all inspired by the people and places I love. I try to live, bake and eat simply but beautifully. I hope to inspire others to bake, make and find their inner artist.

    More about me →

    Popular

    • Crushed Oreo Red Velvet Cookies dipped in a glass of milk.
      Crushed Oreo Red Velvet Cookies
    • Oreo Cupcakes
    • STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE COOKIES
      Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies
    • Earl Grey Shortbread Cookies
    • Rosemary Lemon Bars with a Shortbread Crust
    • Extra Fudgy Cosmic Brownies

    Footer

    Follow me on Instagram!

    the_art.of.baking

    Don’t ever throw away a cookie! #tipsandtricks Don’t ever throw away a cookie! 

#tipsandtricks #bakingtips #bakinghacks #bakingvideo #cookies
    How I feel about summer ending…. Peanut butter How I feel about summer ending….

Peanut butter cup ice cream! Recipe linked in profile 

#icecream #endofsummer #recipes
    Lemon Strawberry Ice Cream Sandwiches with @skinny Lemon Strawberry Ice Cream Sandwiches with @skinnydipped nuts on top! Recipe linked in profile #icecream #icecreamsandwich
    Any takers? No Churn Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream R Any takers? No Churn Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream
Recipe linked in profile 
#icecream #summervibes #summerrecipes #easyrecipes #nobakedessert
    Load More... Follow on Instagram

    Copyright © 2023 · The Art of Baking