HKC 8.7: HALF MOONS

Cook orange juice in a pan, and when it cooks down a bit, add corn starch. When the orange filling is thickened to a jelly, add twice as much sugar to the filling. Cook 5 minutes. Cool.

Add twice as much sugar to the mashed bananas and mix well.

Cook strawberries on a medium flame. When they are liquid, add corn starch and cook until they thicken. Add twice as much sugar to the filling. Cook 5 minutes, and then cool. Rose petal jam also makes a very nice filling.

Make 10-12 balls one inch in diameter. Roll them out to 4 inch diameter and very thin. Add approximately a teaspoon of filling (not too much or the pastry will break open during cooking) and then fold circle in half, pressing ends tightly together; moisten with water if necessary. With the tines of a fork, press all around the sealed ends on both sides.

On one side prick with fork to let steam escape while baking. Place on a greased baking sheet and bake 1/2 hour in a preheated 400 degree oven. Check every 10 minutes to see the progress. When one side is golden, turn all the half-moons over very gently, and bake another 10-15 minutes. When both sides are golden, remove from oven and sprinkle with confectioner's sugar. It is nice to offer these warm.