New York City is known for its black-and-white cookies. It is a mystery why as the cookies are almost uniformly mediocre. The NYC black-and-white is based on a dough that is somewhere between a cake and a cookie. The black and white icing is hard.
Venture to upstate New York or New England and you'll find the morphologically similar, yet gastronomically different, half-moon cookie. The half-moon is actually a small cake with buttercream frosting on top. Half-moons are classically made with cocoa in the batter, though the cocoa-less form seems to be more popular nowadays. Upstaters take a lot of pride in knowing that half-moons are better than black-and-whites.
The whole upstate vs. downstate argument is pretty boring so let's skip to Somerville, Massachusetts. Lyndell's Bakery has been in Somerville since 1887. I went there a couple of weeks ago on National Doughnut Day, after first having a doughnut at the Gail Ann Coffee Shop in Arlington with my sister. The powered sugar doughnuts at both places were great - light and not at all greasy. (Why does anyone ever by the crappy greaseballs from Dunkin' Donuts?) The half-moon cookie was for later in the day. It tasted even better than it looks.
That looks and sounds delicious. And oh, that Lyndell's signage!
Posted by: Dane | 19 June 2009 at 08:48 PM
I thought you might like the signage. :)
Posted by: Joe | 21 June 2009 at 08:44 PM
this is my favorite treat in the whole wide world. i grew up in somerville but live in chicago now. i get one each time i come home. sometimes, i bring some back to chicago but they can be challenging to travel with. i love it.
Posted by: sam | 03 March 2010 at 04:26 PM
ditto sam. lyndell's half moon is the best treat ever (their cupcakes are pretty good too). thanks for making me homesick!
Posted by: blac-ademic | 14 January 2011 at 04:22 PM