RECIPE: Whole-wheat flour brings flavor to chocolate chip cookie
Let’s talk about baking with whole wheat.
Perhaps the greatest disservice to whole-grain baking is that whole wheat became a shorthand for a healthy alternative to white flour, and not a unique ingredient around which one can build breads and pastries.
Whole wheat doesn’t act like white flour in baking applications, and so gets the general reputation for making pastries dense, earthy and boring.
Listen up: While I belong to the school of thought that nutrient-rich food is more flavorful, if you are baking with nutrition and not flavor at the top of your mind, save yourself some time and eat a banana while you seek out a different hobby.
If you’re still with me, let’s make some whole-wheat chocolate chip cookies. These cookies were a staple at Root Baking Co. and embrace the flavor of great whole-wheat flour, high-fat butter and the best chocolate one can find — we use local chocolate from our friends at Xocolatl. A chocolate chip cookie is as simple as it gets, but if you seek out excellent ingredients and pay close attention to technique, they will become your new favorite cookie.
- 2 cups (240 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 cups (240 grams) whole-wheat flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (7 grams) baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (7 grams) baking soda
- 1 1/4 teaspoons (8 grams) salt
- 1 1/2 cup (288 grams) light brown sugar
- 1 1/4 cup (283 grams) softened high-fat or European-style butter
- 1 cup (200 grams) sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons (7 grams) vanilla extract, or 1 vanilla bean, scraped
- 3 cups (480 grams) chopped high-quality chocolate
- Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk together and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat brown sugar, butter and sugar on medium speed until the butter looks fluffy, no longer than 2 1/2 minutes. Don’t get carried away — the longer you beat butter, the more cookies will spread. Add 1 egg and mix on low speed 15 to 20 seconds, just until combined, then add remaining egg. When incorporated, add vanilla.
- With the mixer on very low speed, add flour mixture and mix 20 seconds until flour is mostly combined. Flour will finish incorporating after chocolate is added. Add chopped chocolate and mix 20 seconds until dough is uniform.
- Using a medium scoop, scoop dough and place very close together onto prepared sheet pan. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze 1 hour, until dough is completely frozen. Store frozen dough in a freezer bag up to 1 month.
- To bake, heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment.
- Place dough directly from freezer onto prepared sheet pan and bake 12 to 15 minutes, until edges of cookies are set and lightly browned. Let cool on baking sheet to finish cooking. Makes 48 cookies.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per cookie: 171 calories (percent of calories from fat, 43), 2 grams protein, 22 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 8 grams total fat (5 grams saturated), 23 milligrams cholesterol, 162 milligrams sodium.Chris Wilkins has been a professional baker for 12 years. He is a two-time James Beard Award nominee and the founder and co-owner of Root Baking Co. and Pizza Jeans. Submit your baking questions to bakebetterajc@gmail.com.
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