THE ORIGINAL HEMSTROUGHT BAKERY HALF-MOON COOKIE

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 350°.
• 2. Sift together flour, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium bowl and set aside.
• 3. Put sugar, butter, cocoa and salt in bowl of mixer and beat on medium speed until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and continue to beat. Add half the milk, then half the flour mixture, beating after each addition until smooth; repeat with remaining milk and flour mixture.
• 4. Spoon or pipe batter onto parchment-lined baking sheets, making 3'' rounds 2'' apart. Bake until cookies are set, about 12 minutes. Allow to cool, then remove from parchment.
• 5. Frosting - Chocolate: Melt chocolates and butter in the top of a double boiler over simmering water over medium heat. Add confectioners' sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, salt and 6 tbsp. boiling water - mix to a smooth, stiff paste with a rubber spatula. Thin icing with up to 8 tbsp. more boiling water. Icing should fall from a spoon in thick ribbons. Keep warm in a double boiler over low heat.
• 6. Frosting - Vanilla: Put sugar, butter, shortening, milk, vanilla and salt in a bowl. Beat on low speed to mix, then increase to medium and beat until light and fluffy.
• 7. Using a metal spatula, spread about 1 tbsp. of warm fudge icing on half of the flat side of each cookie. Spread the other half of each cookie with 1 heaping tbsp. vanilla icing.