Whole Wheat Chocolate Brown Sugar, Sugar Cookies
Ok folks, take a deep breath, we’ve got yet another holiday upon us. What I am talking about is Valentine’s Day. Some holidays we can ignore without much ado, but I don’t care if you are single, married, partnered, smitten or bitter about it all, we have to deal with it. It is like a toothache, you have to deal with it… but in a more romantic way.
These cookies are not your typical rolled out sugar cookie. They are made with stone ground whole wheat flour (which makes them sound like they are actually healthy), they are loaded with good quality cocoa powder, They’re slightly crisp around the edges and soft in the center. The cinnamon adds a little more complexity to the finished cookie. The whole wheat flour adds a nuttiness and makes the cookies more of a mouthful than plain old all-purpose flour. I love the combination.
Top the cookies with a generous sprinkling of granulated sugar and you have the perfect symbol of your love, all wrapped up in a cookie. Of course you can make them in any shape you wish, but the heart shape if perfect for Valentine’s day.
Makes: about three dozen cookies
Ingredients:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons good quality cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
Directions:
1. Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, fit with a paddle attachment, beat together butter and sugars. Beat until well incorporated. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl. Add the egg. Beat on medium speed until mixture is glossy and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Stop mixer and add the dry ingredients all at once. Mix on low speed until all of the flour is incorporated Stop mixer and finish incorporating ingredients with a spatula. Spoon batter out onto a sheet of waxed paper, and form loosely into a log. Roll and seal cookie dough and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
5. Once chilled, divide dough in half and place one half on a lightly floured counter surface. Lightly flour a rolling pin and roll out dough to a 1/4-inch thickness. Use a heart shaped (or whatever) cookie cutter to cut out cookies and place dough on prepared baking sheet. Very lightly brush cookies with water and sprinkle with granulated or turbinado sugar.
6. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven, allow to rest on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
7. Roll and cut cookies, re-rolling the dough once or twice, until all cookies are cut and baked.
Cookies will last, in an airtight container at room temperature, for up to five days.
