Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

My husband asked me to bake cookies again. He's the cookie guy at work. His co-workers ask him if he has any cookies so he's asked me to make some so he can take them to work. Tonight I have decided to bake off the rest of my whole wheat chocolate chip cookies.

I'm definitely not one to care too much about using healthy ingredients when I cook or bake. I just use what tastes good. Well, at least I used to not be so concerned. After having a baby and as I get older, it's just not that easy to maintain my old weight, so I better start caring. So here's the best of both worlds. Sort of. At least as healthy as you can get with chocolate chip cookies...not that they're healthy in any way, but whatever. I got this recipe from Orangette. She knows how to pick 'em. This is an amazing cookie recipe AND it uses whole wheat flour. It can't get any better than this. It reminds me a lot of the New York Times Cookies, but with less guilt. If you're looking for a whole wheat cookie, this is the one.

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

3 cups whole wheat flour
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 ½ tsp. kosher salt
2 sticks (8 oz.) unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes (see note above)
1 cup lightly packed dark brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped into ¼- and ½-inch pieces, or bittersweet chips

Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven, and preheat to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment. (If you have no parchment, you can butter the sheets.)

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl, and whisk to blend.

Put the butter and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. With the mixer on low speed, mix just until the butter and sugars are blended, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture to the bowl, and blend on low speed until the flour is just incorporated. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add the chocolate, and mix on low speed until evenly combined. (If you have no stand mixer, you can do all of this with handheld electric beaters and/or a large, sturdy spoon.) Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, and then use your hands to turn and gently massage the dough, making sure all the flour is absorbed.

Scoop mounds of dough about 3 tablespoons in size onto the baking sheets, leaving about 3 inches between each cookie. (I was able to fit about 8 cookies on each sheet, staggering them in three rows.)

Bake the cookies for 16 to 20 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through, until the cookies are evenly browned. Transfer the cookies, still on parchment, to a rack to cool. Repeat with remaining dough.

These cookies are very good while still warm from the oven, but I find that you can taste the wheat more – in a good way – once they’ve cooled.

Yield: about 20 cookies