Did you know that there’s a difference between a Black and White Cookie and a Half Moon Cookie? I didn’t, and I fell down a deep google hole so you don’t have to. 

So to start, neither the Black and White nor the Half Moon are technically cookies at all—they’re drop cakes. As the New York Times explained in the '90s, “the batter resembles the batter for a cupcake, with a little extra flour so that the dough does not run all over the place when it is dropped, dollop by dollop, on the baking sheet.”

Trader Joe’s calls their cookie a “half-moon”—a cookie which, if you believe Robert Sietsema at Eater, originated in Utica, New York in the early 20th century. The Half Moon Cookie had a cookie-shaped base made of chocolate cake with a fluffy layer of frosting on top—half chocolate, half vanilla—but with a thicker layer of chocolate frosting. (A vanilla-cake base is a common variation, but not the original.)

Mattsjc

On the other hand, the Black and White Cookie is the New York City classic: fine-textured vanilla cake, half coated in vanilla fondant, half coated in fudgy chocolate fondant. Sometimes it’s flavored with just a touch of lemon (my personal favorite).

Now that we’re all on the same page, let’s get to today’s cookie. Trader Joe’s Half Moon Cookie is, in my opinion, not a half moon cookie at all. Instead, it’s among the best black-and-white cookies I’ve had since I left New York. The base is soft but not soggy, the icing is crisp, there’s a light hint of lemon. It’s a transportive little treat in a plastic clamshell. 

The only thing that feels a little…incorrect, is that you can’t buy them one at a time, wrapped in a little sheet of wax paper. But even still, I love TJs for bringing me a cookie that tastes juuuust enough like my friend’s Jewish grandmother is telling me I look too skinny. 

We're counting down to 2025 by sharing some of our favorite cookies on Slog every day in December! Because life is hard, and sugar helps. Will things get weird? Maybe! There may have been a small fire during the first photo shoot! But hopefully, you'll also discover some new favorite treats to enjoy this season. Track our daily recommendations here! 🍪