Alice Medrich's Whole-Wheat Sables

I made a bunch of cookies on Saturday afternoon, when it was cold outside and my oven and I were indulging in a little love affair. They were delicious, the cookies, all sandy and and buttery and wholesome and it was so calming, the process, making the simple dough and chilling it in a long, thin rope.

The small discs of dough turned golden brown in the heat of the oven, a frilly edge forming around the base of the cookies that crumbled deliciously under my fingers as I lifted the cookies off the sheet to cool. We ate them, dunked in tea, as we sat on the couch and at the desk in the waning daylight. Billie Holiday was on the radio and all I could think about was that the sound of her voice, on these cold, autumn days, just sounds so exactly right. You can't really listen to Billie in the summer, not with the same melancholy longing that you get when it's slowly growing dark outside and Manhattan glows coolly, gently on the horizon.

You might think that adding whole wheat flour to a regular little butter cookie might toughen it a bit, or make it too grainy, but I promise that it doesn't. In fact, you barely notice that these cookies are different - they're as delicious as their classic cousins. I chopped up a handful of lackluster dried dates to add to the dough, but I wouldn't do that again (they get too hard and chewy, lodging unpleasantly in your teeth) - do as Alice Medrich says and add cocoa nibs or toasted hazelnuts, chopped, of course. In fact, I imagine you could even add a little shower of chopped bittersweet chocolate and produce an elegant, Gallic version of the chocolate chip cookie.

With Thanksgiving around the corner, one could mistakenly think that cookies aren't exactly what the doctor ordered, but I've got to pipe up here and nudge you, delicately, because it's often exactly these kind of days that require a simple cookie and a hot cup of tea to bolster you. You could be stuck in traffic or stranded at an airport on the way to where you'll be celebrating: a couple of these cookies might make you feel a little less helpless. If you're hosting the feast this year, and you're suddenly overwhelmed by the kitchen prep that awaits you, a sable or two could make you stand up straight again, suddenly sure of your menu. And if you're just making a side dish or two and bringing them to a potluck, well, then you've already got the oven going - is it really that much more work to pop a few of these in the oven? Go on, go ahead. You'll be happy you did.

Whole-Wheat Sables
Makes 3 1/2 dozen cookies

1 cup (4.5 ounces) flour
Scant 1 cup (4 ounces) whole wheat flour
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup cacao nibs or chopped toasted hazelnuts

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and whole wheat flour and set aside.

2. In another medium bowl, using the back of a large spoon or with an electric mixer, beat the butter with the sugar, salt and vanilla until smooth and creamy but not fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the cacao nibs and mix to incorporate. Add the flour and mix just until incorporated. Scrape the dough into a mass and, if necessary, knead with your hands a bit, just until smooth.

3. Form the dough into a 12-by-2-inch log. Wrap the log tightly in plastic wrap; refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or preferably overnight.

4. Position the oven racks in the upper and lower third of the oven and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

5. Using a sharp knife, cut the cold dough log into one-fourth-inch slices. Place the cookies at least 1 1/2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Bake until the cookies are light golden brown at the edges, 12 to 16 minutes, rotating the baking sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through baking. Allow the cookies to rest on the sheets about 1 minute to firm up, then transfer them to a rack using a metal spatula. Let them cool completely. Store the cookies in an airtight container.

Comments

[Victoria]

Stop. How am I going to keep up? One great recipe after another - and so far all of them foolproof. Isn't there something you like that I don't? Seriously, this looks divine. I'm glad I will have a few days off this week so I can get to it. Thanks for this. Thanks for everything. Have a wonderful, glorious, treat-filled Thanksgiving.

[mary]

I think I'll make these with some chopped up pecans, and I'm sure I'll be happy I did.

[EB]

Ummmm cocoa nibs and butter in the same sentence? Yes please! These look delightful. Your Sunday sounds like it was so lovely. You really are enjoying your home aren't you?

[Lydia]

Ooooh, whole wheat sables? That's new to me, and I'll definitely try it.

[lobstersquad]

I´d never ever have thought of putting whole wheat flour into a cookie, but because I have a bag I need to use up, and I trust you, I´ll be trying them out soon. happy thanksgiving.

[David]

I just got Alice's new book and can't wait to start baking my way through it. Happy T-day Luisa! x

[Dana]

You know, I have always been a little wary of putting whole wheat flour in cookies for the exact fears you mentioned (grainy, tough), but you've assuaged my worries! Plus, Ms. Medrich's recipes almost always pull through, don't they?

[hannehanne]

Ooh, I'm into this. I like to put whole-wheat flour into my baking because it helps me pretend I'm eating healthily. But this I can totally imagine. I bet the whole wheat gives these sables a really nice nutty flavour.

[Melissa]

You don't need to nudge me - I've been tearing through Alice's new book like there's no tomorrow. I was actually just trying to decide between these and her nibby buckwheat cookies.

Happy Thanksgiving, Luisa!

[mbbored]

This is just the cookie recipe I've been looking for. And I'm totally with you on Billy Holiday: cold air outside, and inside a cuddle on the couch with hot tea, warm cookies & good music.

[Mercedes]

Yumm, I've had my eye on that recipe, but I think it will have to wait until I've waded myself through the turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, pies, ice cream... which reminds me, I've gotta run!

[stephle]

How funny! I also made these this weekend but did use the cocoa nibs as directed. Sad to say but the plate is almost empty, they were THAT GOOD.

I thought the addition of the wheat flour was a nice touch and added a bit of nuttiness to them.

I embellished a little by adding 1/2 of a vanilla bean to the dough and upped the salt (I love the contrast of salt in sweet baked goods).

These have definitely won a spot in my recipe collection.

[Ann]

Oh, my, those look good. They make me want some with a cuppa. Why, those photos look good enough to... well, to eat!

[ann]

those look wonderful Luisa! I hope you guys have a great (and delicious (and just maybe relaxing)) Thanksgiving!

[charlotte s]

hey! these look delicious! and they have that "healthy" touch to them, that will definetely make me feel less guilty about making them ;) lovely post, lovely writing...
happy thanksgiving!

[Luisa]

Victoria - ha, give me time and I'm sure I'll find something... :) Happy Thanksgiving to you!

Mary - I'm sure you will do, smart lady. Enjoy!

EB - I am I am I am! Can't say enough about it. What a good decision it was.

Ximena - ohhh, I've got a few more recipes up my sleeve for you, then. I've been throwing whole wheat flour around like it's going out of style.

David - isn't it gorgeous? I can't stop touching it every time I see it in a bookstore. Happy Thanksgiving - who did the Herald Tribune hire to replace Art Buchwald's T-giving column now that he's gone?

Dana - they do, indeed. That lady knows what she's doing.

Hannehanne - exactly! That's a good description. I had a few last night and then froze the rest for individual defrosting. Yum.

Melissa - ohhh, buckwheat cookies are insanely good. I'll bet Alice's version are delicious.

Stephle - thanks for chiming in, I'm glad to hear the nibs were a good addition. Adding salt was smart, I almost wished there was a touch more in my batch.

ann - thank you, to you and The Boy as well! Happy eating and thanking and relaxing.

Charlotte - thank you so much

[Astra Libris]

I completely agree - cookies around Thanksgiving are absolutely perfect! It's never too early to start trying Christmas cookie recipes... Especially whole wheat ones, which, I think, are the best of all worlds!
- Astra Libris
http://foodforlaughter.blogspot.com

[Katie B.]

Hi hi! I made these this past weekend and my husband declared that they are his new favorite cookie! Thanks so much for the recipe!! (I mixed in both nibs and toasted hazelnuts)

[bella]

I love these too. When I make them I use both hazelnuts and chocolate-coated cocoa nibs (the excellent ones by Taza out of my hometown of Somerville, Mass.). I actually used 1/2 cup of each of these add-ins and the cookies did not seem overstuffed. In Medrich's book, you'll see that the hazelnut variant calls for 1 cup of chopped nuts and I believe the 1/4 cup of nibs is a typo, because in the "nibs and currants" variant, she says that when adding currant you should *decrease* the amount of nibs to 1/3 of a cup, which of course is not less than 1/4 cup. So I think she meant to call for 1/2 cup of nibs in the nibs variant. So go ahead and load 'em up. Everyone loves these cookies.

[karadine]

wow. you are amazing. <3