15 half moon recipes

I used to live near Half Moon Bay and remember the Pumpkin Festival well. This recipe does a fitting tribute to the place and the fruits of the harvest. Yum...I'm smelling the loaves bake as I write... My personal preference is to decrease the oil and sugar slightly, but others will enjoy the richness and sweetness as is.

Buttery crescent cookies with ground nuts, chilled overnight, then shaped into half moons and rolled hot in powdered sugar. A traditional Christmas cookie with crumbly shortbread texture.

Juicy and sweet cherry tomatoes, peppery arugula, crunchy cucumber and creamy avocado are tossed with a light and tasty vinaigrette. An ideal summer salad.

Quick and easy way to make a plateful refreshing and flavorful salad. Mixed greens, cucumber, and radish are mixed with basil balsamic dressing, topped with shaved parmesan.

Marinated artichoke hearts, warm pasts, crunchy cucumber, and juicy tomatoes are tossed together with the marinade juice from artichoke hearts, some red pepper sauce, and fresh cilantro. Quick, easy, and refreshing.

Japanese noodle soup with shiitake mushrooms, snow peas, red pepper, and rice noodles in a hot sesame broth, finished with ginger, brown rice vinegar, and roasted cashews. A vegetarian, low-fat Asian soup ready in 45 minutes.

Kushli are deep-fried Indian half-moon pastries stuffed with toasted coconut, almonds, semolina, sugar, cardamom, and raisins. Crisp, fragrant sweets for festivals and tea-time treats.

Pan-fried whole trout with sauteed cucumber half-moons and toasted slivered almonds in browned butter. A simple, elegant French-style fish dish ready in 15 minutes.

Swiss aniseed and lemon chrabeli cookies with their signature half-moon shape and three slashed edges. Crisp, slightly dry cookies that rest overnight before baking for traditional texture.

Kalitsounia me kanella, sweet Greek cheese pastries filled with ricotta, cinnamon, and sugar, folded into half-moons and dusted with powdered sugar. Traditional Cretan Easter sweet with a tender pastry shell.

Calzoni di ricotta are Italian fried half-moon turnovers stuffed with creamy ricotta, diced ham, and provolone, sealed in a lemon-kissed dough and fried golden. A crisp shell, molten cheese center, perfect antipasto or quick lunch.

Gingered apricot hand pies made from refrigerator biscuits filled with chopped dried apricots, dark brown sugar, and ground ginger. Quick, half-moon pastries crimped with a fork and baked golden. A shortcut dessert ready fast.

Crispy pan-fried tofu stuffed into pita pockets with crunchy cucumber, radish, celery, and fresh dill. A vegetarian sandwich that's packed with texture and ready in 30 minutes.

Italian rice and endive soup with fresh tomatoes, carrots, and basil. A light vegetarian meal ready in 45 minutes, simmered in vegetable stock with curly endive for a pleasantly bitter depth.

Authentic miso soup made from scratch with homemade dashi, kombu, bonito flakes, wakame, tofu, and barley miso. A nourishing Japanese staple ready in 40 minutes with real umami depth.