Ingredients

For the Cookies

•  3 ³⁄₄ cups flour
•  ³⁄₄ tsp. baking powder
•  2 tsp. baking soda
•  2 ¹⁄₄ cups sugar
•  16 Tbsp. margarine, cut into pieces
•  ³⁄₄ cup cocoa, sifted
•  ¹⁄₄ tsp. salt
•  2 eggs
•  1 tsp. vanilla extract
•  1 ¹⁄₂ cups milk

Step 1 — Bake the Cookies

Heat the oven to 350°F. In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and baking soda.

Using a stand mixer, beat the sugar, margarine, cocoa, and salt until the mixture is light and well blended. Beat in the eggs and vanilla.

Add half of the milk, followed by half of the flour mixture, mixing until smooth. Repeat with the remaining milk and dry ingredients.

Drop or pipe the batter onto parchment-lined baking sheets, forming rounds about 3 inches across and leaving roughly 2 inches between cookies. Bake for about 12 minutes, or until the cookies are set. Cool before removing them from the parchment.

Step 2 — Frost the Halfmoons

Once the cookies have cooled, turn them over so the flat sides face up. Spread approximately 1 tablespoon of warm fudge icing over one half of each cookie. Cover the other half with a generous tablespoon of buttercream icing, creating the traditional half-chocolate, half-white Halfmoon design.

Fudge Icing

•  3 ¹⁄₂ oz. bittersweet chocolate
•  3 ¹⁄₂ oz. semisweet chocolate
•  1 Tbsp. butter
•  4 ¹⁄₃ cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
•  2 Tbsp. corn syrup
•  1 tsp. vanilla extract
•  1 pinch salt

Make the chocolate icing: Gently heat both chocolates and the butter together in a double boiler until completely melted. Stir until smooth. Mix in the confectioners’ sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, and salt, then gradually work in 6 tablespoons of boiling water.

Continue adding hot water as needed, up to 8 tablespoons more, until the frosting is thick but easily spreadable and flows slowly from a spoon. Keep it warm over very low heat while frosting the cookies. If making it ahead, refrigerate it and gently warm it again in a double boiler before using.

Buttercream Frosting

•  7 cups confectioners’ sugar
•  16 tbsp. room temperature butter, cut into pieces
•  ¹⁄₂ cup vegetable shortening
•  7 Tbsp. milk
•  1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
•  1 pinch salt

Put sugar, butter, shortening, milk, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of a standing mixer. Beat on low speed to mix, then increase to medium and beat until light and fluffy.