Against the Grain: Healthy Christmas Cookies

Like almost every other home baker, I love December, a month of national amnesia when it comes to butter, sugar, eggs and all those other good ingredients we’re supposed to regard with moderation during the rest of the year.

One of the things I love most about December is baking Christmas cookies, especially those made with whole-grain flours. I worry sometimes that a lot of people think whole grains are something you eat just because they’re good for you, a perception fueled by all this recent oat bran business. They are good for you, of course. But whole grains also add layers of good flavor, interesting texture and overall character to cookies you would never have imagined. One bite will tell.

If you came of age during the ‘60s, you are apt to think twice about the whole idea of grainy cookies. Back then, when it was just getting under way, the whole-grain baking movement washow can I put this nicely? long on enthusiasm but sometimes lacking in refinement. Alternative bakeries sold things such as wheat germ-banana-corn grits-sunflower seed-granola cookies. Remember?

But after 20 years of studying the whole-grain-cookie concept, my feeling is that the best of them aren’t this radical type. The best of them are grainy renditions of the cookies we already love best. Almost anyone will try a chocolate chip or butter cookie made with whole-wheat flour or a whole-wheat-and-cornmeal shortbread.

Whole-wheat flour gives cookies a natural nuttiness and an abundance of flavor and nutrition you just won’t find in an all-white-flour cookie. Home bakers who limit themselves to just white flour are like the fiddler with one string--you get tired of the same old note after a while.

Purists like to grind their own whole-wheat flour from wheat berries purchased at a health food store. This isn’t necessary--I buy my whole-wheat flour and other grains from either the health food store or the supermarket. What is necessary is proper storage: Whole-wheat and other whole-grain flours contain oils that will turn rancid over time. This spoilage occurs much quicker at room temperature, so it’s best to store whole-grain flours in the freezer in sealed plastic bags.

Whole-grain cookies demand the same attention to quality ingredients that all other cookies do. Unsalted butter. Fresh eggs. Pure--not imitation--extracts. And fresh spices. If you don’t bake much, check your spices. Make sure they smell alive, not musty.

A good cookie speaks for itself, but I’d still like to say just a few words about the following selection. These are simple recipes, and they require nothing more than the usual equipment: an electric mixer, a baking sheet and an oven.

The Whole-Wheat Honey-Butter Cookies are an incredibly good basic whole-wheat cookie. Our family of six can polish off a batch of these in less time than it takes to pour a round of milk.

There are two cookies in the chocolate-chip category. The first is made with oats and whole wheat, giving it at least a 30% guilt reduction factor over other chocolate-chip cookies. The other uses cashew butter, peanut butter’s upscale cousin; it equals anything Mrs. Fields can turn out. Finally, there’s Spiced Cornmeal Shortbread, which has a wonderful, slightly gritty texture.

And don’t forget to leave a plateful for Santa.

WHOLE-WHEAT WALNUT-CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups whole-wheat flour

1/4 cup rolled oats

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups chocolate chips

1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

Cream butter in medium mixer bowl, adding brown sugar as butter gets soft. Beat in eggs, 1 at time, then vanilla. Stir together flour, oats, baking soda and salt in separate bowl.

Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture in 3 stages, stirring just until blended after each. Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts.

Using tablespoon, drop pieces of dough (slightly smaller than golf-ball size), about 3 inches apart, onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake, 1 sheet at time, at 350 degrees 12 to 14 minutes, or until slightly uneven, golden-brown color. (Watch very carefully in last few minutes of baking, so they don’t over-brown. Cookies will be little undercooked in middle, but will firm up.) Cool on baking sheet several minutes, then transfer by spatula to wire rack. Cool completely before storing in airtight container. Makes about 36 cookies.

Each serving contains about:

160 calories; 48 mg sodium; 27 mg cholesterol; 9 grams fat; 18 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams protein; .3 gram fiber; 52% calories from fat.

Watch the timing on these cookies. They reach a point at the end when they start to spread and the surface cracks. That’s the clue that they’re almost done.

CASHEW BUTTER-CHOCOLATE-CHIP COOKIES

3/4 cup cashew butter

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 1/4 cups light brown sugar, packed

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup whole-wheat flour

2/3 cup unbleached flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup chopped roasted cashews

3/4 cup chocolate chips

Cream cashew butter, butter, brown sugar, egg and vanilla in large mixer bowl. Mix flours, baking soda and salt in separate bowl. Stir dry ingredients into creamed mixture in 3 stages just until blended after each. Mix in cashews and chocolate chips.

Shape dough into 1 1/2-inch balls. Place 3 inches apart on lightly buttered baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees 12 to 14 minutes, or until just at point when surface starts to crack and cookies have spread out somewhat (tops will feel squishy to touch and may brown tiny bit). Remove sheet to cooling rack and cool cookies on sheet several minutes before transferring to wire rack. Cool completely before storing in airtight container. Makes about 30 cookies.

Note: Cashew butter is available in health food stores.

Each serving contains about:

174 calories; 32 mg sodium; 16 mg cholesterol; 10 grams fat; 20 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams protein; 0 fiber; 51% calories from fat.

The great flavor of these cookies depends on butter, naturally, but also on good, fresh whole-wheat flour. If you have had some on hand for a while and it hasn’t been stored in the freezer, it could well be rancid--smell it--and should be discarded.

WHOLE-WHEAT HONEY-BUTTER COOKIES

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

2/3 cup honey, at room temperature

2 eggs, at room temperature

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/3 cups whole-wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Sugar, optional

Cream butter and honey in large mixer bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, 1 at time, then stir in vanilla. Sift whole-wheat flour with baking powder, salt and cinnamon in separate bowl. Include any bran pieces that stay in sifter.

Stir dry ingredients into creamed mixture, about half at time, just until thoroughly blended. Don’t beat dough. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.

Using floured hands, shape dough into 1 1/4-inch balls. Roll in sugar (or sugar mixed with little cinnamon) and place about 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. Leave balls as is for rounded cookies--or flatten just slightly with tines of fork. Bake at 375 degrees 10 minutes, 1 sheet at time. Cool cookies 1 minute on sheet, then cool on wire rack. Store in airtight container. These are best eaten within 1 week. Makes about 30 cookies.

Each serving contains about:

120 calories; 59 mg sodium; 31 mg cholesterol; 7 grams fat; 15 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams protein; 0 fiber; 50% calories from fat.

This spiced shortbread has the classic crumbly texture you expect, with the added crunch of cornmeal. It makes a wonderful holiday gift.

SPICED CORNMEAL SHORTBREAD

1/2 cup whole-wheat flour (finely ground is best)

1/2 cup unbleached flour

1/4 cup yellow cornmeal, preferably stone-ground

1/3 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Dash salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, slightly softened

1 tablespoon unsulphured molasses

1 teaspoon vanilla

Lightly butter bottom of 9-inch springform pan. Sift flours, cornmeal, powdered sugar, cornstarch, ginger, cloves, cinnamon and salt into medium mixing bowl. Cream butter and molasses in separate bowl, adding vanilla before you turn mixer off. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture in 3 stages, stirring just to blend after each addition.

Keeping hands lightly floured, press dough evenly into prepared pan. (It may help to take off side of pan, but replace before baking.) If dough starts to get too soft from heat of hands, set whole pan in freezer few minutes, then proceed.

Once dough is even, place ruler across top of pan to use as guide while scoring shortbread. Run sharp knife down along edge of ruler, poking dough to make deep score marks; keep marks slightly apart. (Or do freehand with fork, but pieces probably won’t come out as even.) Next, run rubber spatula down inside edge, all around, just to push dough out slightly from side.

Bake at 325 degrees 35 minutes. Surface will darken a shade, with edges slightly darker. Remove side of pan and cool shortbread on pan’s bottom on wire rack. While shortbread is still warm, finish cuts with sharp paring knife but don’t move pieces until completely cool. To store, wrap pieces individually in plastic wrap. Makes 10 pieces.

Each serving contains about:

163 calories; 26 mg sodium; 25 mg cholesterol; 9 grams fat; 19 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams protein; 0 fiber; 52% calories from fat.