New York State’s Favorite Christmas Cookie Comes From CNY

If a BIG part of your Christmas experience is the cookies, this one is for you, and we should be especially proud in Central New York, in the whole Mohawk Valley, and particularly in Utica.

General Mills just announced the most popular Christmas cookie in every state by analyzing all of the traffic to their three main recipe websites: BettyCrocker.com, Pillsbury.com, and Tablespoon.com. Peanut Butter Blossoms won seven states. Sugar Cookie M&M Bars came in second, with five states. But New York State's most popular cookie comes from Utica.

It's the half-moon. And New York is the ONLY state where it's #1.

Of course it is. According to Wikipedia, these goodies "can be traced to Hemstrought's Bakery in Utica, New York, around 1925." Of course they've become very popular at other outlets, including Holland Farms (Yorkville), Dunn's (Canastota), and Harrison Bakery in Syracuse.

Sugar Cookie Cutouts, Spritz Cookies, Italian Christmas Cookies, and Christmas Crinkle Cookies each won four states.