Baking | Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies with Smoked Sea Salt and Fluted Pistachio & Craisin Cookies … cookie l♥v
“Think what a better world it would be if we all, the whole world, had cookies and milk about three o’clock every afternoon and then lay down on our blankets for a nap.”
Robert Fulghum
Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies with Smoked Sea Salt and Fluted Pistachio & Craisin Cookies … Cookies Cookies Cookies. The events of the past week asked for something comforting … the call was for cookies! Last months Daring Bakers challenge was meant to awaken the cookie monster in us, which it did. Sadly, I never did get down to posting them.
Excuses? Plenty and thankfully not too lame. Exams! Then the internet has played truant. The service provider refused to acknowledge the basic problem. A month later, after trying every solution under the sun, they finally agreed to redo the wiring {which is what we asked for in the first place}. Frustrating but true, like so many other things in life. I am happy to be back to blogging with less stress.
Of late, I’ve been bitten by the brownie monster and it was just a matter of time before I hit cookie mode. Daring Bakers in November set me off. Made two lots {downgraded from an ambitious 5-6}. Then the posting date passed by with intermittent internet and these poor cookies went into drafts. With the net now up and racing, I thought I’d better get them out before the bells begin to jingle louder. 
When the kidlets were younger, December always woke up the cookie monster in me. The jar was never empty. I was always elbow deep in dough {well almost}. My days {and often nights} would go in backbreaking baking, frosting cookies, doing stain glass cookies, hanging dozens onto the tree, making dozens more for the kids, their friends, for orders etc.
Then the ‘forever hungry for pretty Christmas cookies’ kids grew up. I fell to easier and more practical cookies to make. I hardly ever do cookies that need dressing up and fussing over. Wholewheat Gingerbread Men Cookies are an exception though; I really enjoy doing these. {Ceramics courtesy Urban Dazzle}
Now I consider myself lucky if freshly baked cookies even get a chance to ‘cool completely‘! Before I know it, dirty grubby teen ‘lad’ fingers hesitatingly come forward to grab a few, while the older sister bites gently into them. The two are ALWAYS game for cookies.
I started off pretty early in November. First out of the oven were Fluted Pistachio & Craisin Cookies. Simple, crisp and delicious with craisins and pistachios adding beautiful flavour. The craisins were orange flavoured, so slight hints of orange teased the palette! Good beginning!
Then I happened to see these chippers on a beautiful blog Reclaiming Provincial. I instantly knew they were about to happen in the near future, pretty near future. I mentally ticked off everything I loved about them …
They are from a book I long to own {read yet another book} Good to the Grain, Kim Boyce. Wholewheat flour only. Brown sugar too. Seemed like a good deal! They certainly were! Watch them as they bake though … they can go from brown to dark brown in a heartbeat.
My cookies didn’t flatten like the ones I saw. Maybe because our Indian wholewheat is heaps different from the American whole wheat pastry flour {I presume the original recipe uses wholewheat pastry flour}. Maybe the egg I used was a tad small. Whatever, but these are darned delicious cookies!
I did add a drizzle of honey; maybe I could have added another. There’s plenty of time for experimenting because these are good cookies and are going to show up more often! Sorry for the delay in this Daring Bakers post Peta.
Holiday season is the time for sharing and Peta of Peta Eats is sharing a dozen cookies, some classics and some of her own, from all over the world with us.
[print_this]Recipe: Fluted Pistachio & Craisin Cookies 
Summary: Simple cookies to enjoy holiday baking this season! Enjoy these crisp, light and delicious cookies with a cup of tea or coffee! Makes 2 dozen
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
- 100g unsalted butter
- 75g raw sugar
- 1 egg yolk {reserve the white}
- Zest of 1 lime
- 25g almond meal
- 175g plain flour
- 25g pistachios, chopped
- 25g craisins, chopped
Method:
- Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment. Preheat the oven to 180C.
- Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the yolk and zest and beat again.
- Add all the remaining ingredients and mix well and bring together into a smooth dough. {In case the dough doesn’t come together well, add a little egg white to bind it}
- Roll out to 1/8″ 4mm thick and stamp out with fluted cookie cutters. The cutters need to be sharp to cut through the craisins and pistachios.
- Place on the prepared sheet and bake at 180C for 13-15 minutes until light golden brown.
- Cool for 5 minutes on the tray, and then remove to cooling rack to cool completely.
Recipe: Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies with Smoked Sea Salt 
Summary: Rustic, earthy and delicious wholegrain chocolate chip cookies … worth every bite! {Minimally adapted from Good to the Grain, via Reclaiming Provincial}. Makes 2 dozen
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
- 225g whole wheat flour
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 100g unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 tbsp honey
- 60g dark brown sugar
- 60g raw sugar {bura}
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 100g bittersweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 tsp smoked sea salt
Method:
- Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment. Preheat the oven to 180C.
- Sift flour, baking powder and baking soda into a medium bowl. Reserve.
- Beat the butter with both sugars in another bowl on low speed. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat again for a minute.
- Add the sifted flour mix and incorporate on low speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl.
- Fold in the chocolate chips {on low speed, with a wooden spoon, or your hand}.
- Drop walnut size scoops of dough about 1.5″ apart onto the baking sheet. {I rolled mine into balls and flattened them slightly}.
- Sprinkle over with sea salt if desired.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes until the cookies are evenly dark brown.
- Cool for 5 minutes on the tray, and then remove to cooling rack to cool completely.
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Also find me on The Rabid Baker, The Times of India
Deeba @ PAB
About me: I am a freelance food writer, recipe developer and photographer. Food is my passion - baking, cooking, developing recipes, making recipes healthier, using fresh seasonal produce and local products, keeping a check on my carbon footprint and being a responsible foodie! I enjoy food styling, food photography, recipe development and product reviews. I express this through my food photographs which I style and the recipes I blog. My strength lies in 'Doing Food From Scratch'; it must taste as good as it looks, and be healthy too. Baking in India, often my biggest challenge is the non-availability of baking ingredients, and this has now become a platform to get creative on. I enjoy cooking immensely as well.
25 Comments
pavithra
Deeba still I am finding time to bake the healthy brownies using whole wheat..now next… will surely do it soon.. THese looks way too tempting. Merry christmas to you and your Family !!!!
sangeeta khanna
Loving those Gingerbread men with a heart….so much needed in today’s times 🙂
Whole wheat cookies or crackers turn brown faster than APF but I love the flavor.
thelittleloaf
What a gorgeous set of cookies! I love the look of them all 🙂
gloria
Dear Deeba what nice and lovely are always yours pictures and I bookmarked these cookies I woul love to make!!
Have a wonderful Christmas Deeba!!;)
Tanya
I love how you tied a ribbon in between the cookies. That is such a cute idea for a gift. I have never heard of smoked sea salt before. I will have to look for it the next time I go to the store. It sounds really good.
Rosa
Both cookies look amazing! I particularly like the fluted ones.
Cheers,
Rosa
Colette @ JFF!
I’d have to have one of EACH, then take a looooong nap!
Priya
Even i love to bake my cookies quite often with whole wheat flour,loving them.
jennifurla
i WOULD BE WILLING TO TAKE SOME OF THESE OUT OF YOUR HANDS…PLEASE
Zari
I love baking too but am not as perfect as you.Your recipes are awesome….keep it up.
http://zariafrozrecipes.blogspot.com/
jehanne@thecookingdoctor
Love your wooden box, and the cookies too! You are feeding my obsession with any-cookie-tastes-better-with-sea-salt these days:-)
Sayantani
These cookies bring on the festive feeling so well. love both of them and I must also mention that my little 3 and half year old loved the Santa flying and jumping on the page everytime I scrolled. thanks for that. at-least he sat still for half an hour with this little Santa.
shooting star
love the ginger bread men with heart!!
aah, to be back breaking at home….i wish i can chuck my job and do that 🙂
sometimes i really envy you <3
Deeba @ PAB
xoxo Sush… ‘sometimes’ is a good word! You wouldn’t envy me all the time…LOL!
Arthy Suman
Wonderful clicks dear…really admire the pictures a lot….
Runnergirlinthekitchen
I am amazed at the way you turn something sipmple into someting exotic and stunning, your truly an artist!
When I see the pics its more n more clear that its not the pictures, its the person behind who creates the magic :))
Have a Merry Christmas Deeba!
preveena
Deeba! They look absolutely delicious. I am loving the fluted one .
Vijitha Shyam
Both the cookies are looking lovely Deeba! Happy Holidays to you.
Radhika @ Just Homemade
Deeba,
The cookies look fabulous! Love that they are whole wheat. A little less guilt 🙂
Can’t go wrong with the craisin pistachio combo, I bet! A must try.
ps: Love your antique wooden box
Tah
Thanks for sharing this. Made the choc hip cookies today and loving it 🙂 I think you have missed to mention when the honey should be added ? I added it at the end nevertheless 🙂 love,love,loooooove ur blog
Deeba @ PAB
Thank you Tah, how sweet your are!! Yes of course I forgot {hurry makes curry sometimes}. Will just edit the recipe. Huge thanks. xo
Jamie
I love them all! The gingerbread men are adorable and the pistachios craisin cookies are so pretty and probably the ones I grab first from a cookie tray. All so beautiful, Sistah! I hope you guys have a wonderful, joyous and happy holiday season xoxox
Pooja
Deeba, gorgeous pics as always & awesome recipes. Tried the whole wheat cookies….turned out great!!! Definitely a keeper. Think you missed the honey bit. I ded it right after the egg & the essence….but would still like to know when to add it. Thanks 🙂
Prerna@The Mom Writes
OOhh… LOVE the Pistachio Craisin cookies.. I will definitely be making these since have a surplus of pistas:-)
Gorgeous pics as always, Deeba.. Have a great year!
Christoper Owen
Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies with Smoked Sea Salt and Fluted Pistachio & Craisin Cookies … Cookies Cookies Cookies. The events of the past week asked for something comforting … the call was for cookies! Last months Daring Bakers challenge was meant to awaken the cookie monster in us, which it did. Sadly, I never did get down to posting them.