By Jacob Pucci | jpucci@syracuse.com
Half-moon cookies originated in CNY, so it only makes sense that Central New Yorkers have strong opinions on this split cookie.
While we were visiting the six finalists, our readers cast more than 10,000 votes for their favorite.
And the winners are:
Judges' Choice: Dunn's Bakery
Readers' Choice: Harrison Bakery
Judging notes: Our judging team was Jacob Pucci and Jared Paventi. Jacob Pucci is the Best of Central New York reporter for syracuse.com. Jared Paventi is a restaurant critic for syracuse.com and a beer and beverage writer for NYup.com.
We visited all six finalists and ate vanilla- and chocolate-based cookies from each bakery.
Jacob Pucci
No. 6 - Hemstrought's Bakeries
Open since 1920, Hemstrought's Bakeries is often credited with creating the half-moon cookie. While the retail shop has closed, the cookies are still baked at a plant on Oswego Street in Utica and sold in grocery stores across the area.
The cookies are available in the traditional vanilla base, as well as chocolate. The frosting colors change with the season.
See more photos from Hemstrought's Bakeries
Jacob Pucci
Review - Hemstrought's Bakeries
While Hemstrought's may have been the first, it's not the best.
We liked that the cookies weren't too sweet, but the base of the cookie was too dense, a bit tough and the frosting was oily and after having sat on the supermarket shelf, had begun seeping into the cookie base.
The chocolate cookie lacked any chocolate flavor.
"It tastes like a brown cookie," Judge Jared Paventi said. "I'm disappointed."
Jacob Pucci
No. 5 - Harrison Bakery (Readers' Choice)
Harrison Bakery was opened by Arthur Rothfeld in 1949. Now owned by his grandson Michael, Harrison continues to crank out the breads, pies, donuts and cookies that made this Syracuse bakery famous.
The recipe for the half-moons remains the same today as it did in 1949, Rothfeld said. As a Kosher bakery, Harrison doesn't use dairy in its half-moons.
Address: 1306 W. Genesee St., Syracuse.
See more photos from Harrison Bakery
Jacob Pucci
Review - Harrison Bakery
Both judges agreed that these half-moon cookies were not up to the usual Harrison standard we've experienced in the past.
The cookies in both the chocolate and vanilla versions were crumbly and dry--particularly around the edges. One of the cookies broke in half after taking a bite.
"Not supple!" Judge Jared Paventi exclaimed.
The chocolate cookie, as well as the chocolate icing on both cookies, lacked discernible chocolate flavor. The vanilla icing was fine, but unspectacular, with sugar as the dominant flavor.
Jacob Pucci
No. 4 - Holland Farms Bakery & Deli
Holland Farms is located in the Utica suburb of Yorkville, but this family-owned shop got its start on a dairy farm in Oriskany.
John Piersma started the business as a door-to-door milk delivery in 1928. That led to the Holland Farms Dairy Bar and to the full-fledged bakery in 1955. The farm ceased bottling milk in the 1990s.
Today, the business is owned by Piersma's daughter, Marolyn Wilson.
While most other half-moon bakeries stick to only two or three varieties, Holland Farms offers more than 10 varieties, including red velvet, pumpkin chocolate chip and carrot.
Address: 50 Oriskany Blvd., Yorkville.
See more photos from Holland Farms Bakery & Deli
Jacob Pucci
Review - Holland Farms Bakery & Deli
Easily the largest of the finalist cookies, these Holland Farm treats were moist, with a tight crumb that didn't crumble.
While a half-moon cookie more closely resembles a cake than a traditional cookie, both judges agreed that these cookies were too fluffy.
"It's like eating a squished piece of chocolate cake," Judge Jared Paventi said.
The chocolate icing was pretty good, but the white icing tasted of little else but sugar. As a whole, both cookies were very sweet.
Jacob Pucci
No. 3 - Green Hills Farms
The home to the best supermarket rotisserie chicken in CNY is also home to some darn good half-moon cookies.
Located just south of the Syracuse city line in Nedrow, Green Hills got its start as a produce stand at the Hawkins family dairy farm on nearby Route 80 in 1925.
Eventually they moved the farm stand to the 5900 block of South Salina Street. They built the farm stand around a tree that the owner of the rented plot of land wouldn't let the Hawkins family cut down.
A replica of that tree is now in the store's bakery.
See more photos from Green Hills Farms
Jacob Pucci
Review - Green Hills Farms
The vanilla cookies had a welcome lemon flavor (and maybe some sour cream?), which added a touch of acidity that helped counter the heavy punch of sweetness from the icing.
For folks who don't like chocolate icing, Green Hills does make an all-white icing "full moon" cookie.
The icing itself was perfectly fine but was basic and didn't blow either of us away.
"It had no intangibles," Judge Pared Paventi said.
The chocolate cookie was a touch too sweet and was so moist that it stuck to our fingers, but the flavor was on point. If you closed your eyes and took a bite, you would know this was a chocolate cookie.
Jacob Pucci
No. 2 - Lyncourt Bakery
This third-generation family-owned bakery hasn't changed its half-moon cookie recipe since Philip Mignacca opened it in 1956.
But half-moons are only a small part of the equation. The bakery also sells cookies, cannoli, cream puffs, donuts, breads, rolls, pizza and more.
Dede Mignacca, whose husband Phil is the grandson of the original owner, said the shop sells twice as many vanilla cookies as chocolate.
See more photos from Lyncourt Bakery
Address: 2205 Teall Ave., Salina.
Jacob Pucci
Review - Lyncourt Bakery
That lemon flavor we enjoyed in the Green Hills cookie was more prominent in Lyncourt Bakery's version, which provided even more support to balance the sweetness of the icing.
The vanilla cookie was moist, but a touch crumbly, especially after taking the first bite.
This was the best chocolate cookie of the search. Packed with chocolate flavor, the cookie was moist, tender and not too sweet.
Appearance-wise, these cookies weren't as neat as some of the other ones, but the flavor and texture more than made up for that.
Jacob Pucci
No. 1 - Dunn's Bakery (Judges' Choice)
As it turns out, the best half-moon cookie in Central New York isn't in Syracuse or Utica.
It's in Canastota.
The bakery dates back to 1928, when the Dunn family opened a bakery in the Oneida County hamlet of North Bay. They eventually moved the bakery to Old Forge and finally to Canastota in 1939.
The bakery has been in its current location on South Peterboro Street since 1966.
Thomas A. Dunn, the grandson of the original owner, has run the bakery since 1978.
The vanilla half-moons is a Dunn family recipe that originated in 1928, while the recipe for the chocolate half-moons is from the Seitz side of the family--the former Seitz Bakery was located in Oneida--and dates back to the late 1800s.
Address: 144 S. Peterboro St., Canastota.
See more photos from Dunn's Bakery
Jacob Pucci
Review - Dunn's Bakery
Dunn's has the distinction of being the only one of the six finalists that frosts the rounded side of the cookie, leaving the golden brown flat side on display.
Both the vanilla and chocolate icings were exceptional. So many white icings taste only of sugar, but this icing had a great vanilla flavor.
The chocolate icing was equally as exceptional, with a potent chocolate flavor that wasn't covered up by too much sugar.
The chocolate cookie was good, but we thought it could have had a bit more chocolate flavor. However, the vanilla cookie was spectacular.
The cookie itself was light, yet firm; springy, but not too fluffy. Thomas Dunn said the bakery uses only real vanilla extract in their cookies. We could tell.
As much as we loved the lemony cookie from Lyncourt, this was our favorite vanilla cookie that we tried.
We went back and forth between Dunn's and Lyncourt for the Judges' Choice, but ultimately we agreed that Dunn's found the perfect balance between cookie and cake--a fine line that's hard to achieve--and thus, deserved the title.
Word of advice: If you want a Dunn's half-moon cookie--and you do--get there early. They usually sell out before noon.
Honorable mentions and superlatives
We named our overall winner, but we wanted to break it down further and dole out more specific awards.
- Best chocolate cookie: Lyncourt Bakery.
- Best vanilla cookie: Dunn's Bakery.
- Biggest half-moon cookie: Holland Farms Bakery & Deli.
- Moistest cookie: Green Hills Farms.
- Cheapest half-moon cookie: Lyncourt Bakery (85 cents).
- Most expensive half-moon cookie: Holland Farms Bakery & Deli ($1.40).
- Most varieties of half-moon cookies: Holland Farms Bakery & Deli.
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Jacob Pucci | jpucci@syracuse.com
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