Honey Wheat Cookies

I love a decadent dessert as much as the next person, but I’ve been trying to bake more with whole grains, for the added fiber and other good nutrients that only come from the bran and germ of the wheat. Although whole-grain baking is very popular now, you don’t see many recipes for rolled cookies that use whole-wheat flour. So I tinkered with my basic recipe, swapping in some whole-wheat flour for some of the all-purpose flour. While I was at it, I changed the sweetener too, guessing that brown sugar and a bit of honey would mellow the flour’s wheaty flavor. Instead trying to hide the nubby texture of the whole wheat, I thought I’d bring attention to it by adding a little toasted wheat germ to the dough.

With the cookie dough resting in the refrigerator, my last consideration was which cookie cutter to use. Of course any shape would work but I thought a herd of rugged, outdoorsy moose cookies would be fun. I brushed them with the egg white left over from the dough and sprinkled them with cinnamon sugar. The moose looked cute with their rough cinnamon coats, but they needed a little more personality so I added currants for eyes before popping them in the oven.

Because of their long legs and big antlers, these cookies are a little more fragile than some other shapes. I made sure to let them cool on the pan until they were firm before moving them to a wire cooling rack. Since real moose shed their antlers every fall and grow new ones in the spring, if the odd cookie lost its antlers, I just called it a February moose.

The cookies smelled and looked wonderful but the real question was, how did they taste? Like serious, good-for-you health-food cookies? Not at all. They’re light and crisp and sweet, and just a bit more interesting than the white-flour, white-sugar variety. Thanks to the whole wheat, they also have twice as much fiber, but you don’t have to think about that. Just enjoy.

Ann
Ann Clark, Ltd.

Honey-Wheat Cookies
If you’re making moose shapes, you might want a spoonful of currants to use for eyes.

Stir together and set aside:
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Cream together until light and fluffy:
- 1 cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar

Beat in:
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whisk together then add:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole-wheat flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder


Mix just until all ingredients are well blended. Chill dough for 3-4 hours before rolling.
Preheat oven to 350º. Roll dough out on a lightly floured counter to ¼” thickness. Cut with your favorite Ann Clark cookie cutter.

Whisk until frothy:
- 1 large egg white

Lightly brush beaten egg white on the cookies and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes, until lightly colored. Let cookies cool slightly on cookie sheets and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.