Atlanta baker Sarah Dodge has worked as a caterer, photographer, food stylist and pastry chef, with stints at Octopus Bar, Little Tart Bakeshop, Ladybird Grove and Mess Hall and the Preserving Place.
But she’s probably best known and beloved for making simple cookies, cakes and other goodies that combine technique with rich flavors and rustic homemade appeal.
Nowadays, Dodge can be found at 8ARM, a lively Virginia-Highland cafe and bakery , where she's been filling the pastry cases with muffins, turnovers, cinnamon buns and quiche.
Learn how to make Dodge's whole wheat double chocolate cookies below, and click here for her recipes for vanilla ice cream and buttermilk cake with apples.
Credit: Yvonne Zusel
Credit: Yvonne Zusel
“This is my favorite cookie on the planet," I learned the glory of using whole wheat working for Sarah O’Brien at Little Tart Bakeshop. The whole wheat adds a fullness and robustness that makes the cookie so much more. Molasses adds a richness in flavor that is unmatched. I switch up the chocolate and do white chocolate and dried cherries or pecans and caramel. When making cookies, it’s important that all of your ingredients are the same temperature or else they won’t bake evenly or consistently.”'
Whole Wheat Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
3 sticks (12 ounces) butter at room temperature
2 cups whole wheat flour (300 grams)
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (176 grams)
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt (6 grams)
3/4 teaspoon baking soda (4.5 grams)
2 1/4 cups light brown sugar, lightly packed (268 grams)
1 cup granulated sugar (208 grams)
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon blackstrap molasses
2 whole eggs plus 1 egg yolk, room temperature
2 cups good quality dark chocolate, such as Valrhona 70% dark, chopped in chunks
1 1/2 cups good quality milk chocolate, such as Valrhona 40% milk, chopped in chunks
Course sea salt to taste
Preheat oven to 325 degrees, on convection setting, if available.
Add room-temperature butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. In a mixing bowl, whisk to combine whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, salt and baking soda. In another mixing bowl, combine brown sugar, granulated sugar, and molasses. Mix sugars and molasses with your fingers, ensuring the molasses gets broken up. In another bowl, crack eggs and set aside. In a final bowl, combine chocolate pieces. You want everything ready to make the final mix super easy.
Once everything is ready, turn your mixer to medium and mix the butter until light and fluffy. Slowly add the sugar mix and mix until almost white in color, about 4 minutes. The butter is absorbing the sugar, eating it, and that’s what’s going to give you the good texture. Next add the eggs one at a time, beating well in between each addition. This is also going to ensure good texture. Once well beaten, turn mixer to low. Add the flour mix and mix on low, just to combine. It’s OK if you still see a little bit of flour, you don’t want to over mix. Finally, fold in the chocolate pieces.
Spoon out dough to a parchment paper-lined sheet tray. I scoop out my dough with an ice cream scoop; it’s uniform and easy.
Bake 12-15 minutes, rotating after 5 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned and the center is set. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely. Sprinkle with course sea salt, if desired.
Makes approximately 2 dozen cookies
Per cookie: 371 calories (percent of calories from fat, 46), 4 grams protein, 49 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber, 20 grams fat (12 grams saturated), 60 milligrams cholesterol, 209 milligrams sodium.
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