Cookies Take Over the Kitchen

Sugar Cookies

Like a little black dress, a rolled sugar cookie recipe is an essential in any baker’s repertoire. Dress up the cookies with Royal Icing and colorful sprinkles, or enjoy then unadorned with a cup of tea. Here is my healthful rendition that stretches the butter with canola oil and incorporates whole-wheat flour.

¾ cup white whole-wheat flour

¾ cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

2 tablespoons canola oil

½ cup sugar

1 large egg

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt in medium bowl. Beat butter, oil and sugar in an electric mixer at high speed until blended. Add egg and vanilla, and beat until smooth. Add flour mixture and beat at low speed just until a crumbly dough forms. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes or for up to 2 hours.

2. Place dough on a sheet of parchment paper. Cover with another sheet of parchment and roll to a thickness of slightly less than ¼ inch. Cut out shapes with a cookie cutter. Place sheet of parchment on a baking sheet, cover with the second sheet of parchment and place in the freezer until very firm, at least 20 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350˚F. Lift away scraps of cookie dough, leaving finished shapes. Bake cookies until starting to brown around the edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool on baking sheet on wire rack for 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to rack and let cool completely. Reroll dough scraps and repeat.

Makes: about 16 cookies.