Sooo… it looks like the whole wheat trend is here to stay. Drats.
Whole wheat pasta, whole wheat cakes, whole wheat breads, whole wheat muffins — it seems we’re in it for the long haul. About five miles away, Mother Lovett might be rolling in her grave asking for another slice of buttered white bread.
I’m fortunate to have inherited a love of hearty food. That came from my dad’s side — my mom, on the other hand, can’t imagine life without fluffy white sandwich bread, greasy crackers and angel hair pasta made with enriched flour. Her motto: wheat is atrocious.
I believe there’s a time and a place for whole wheat, and dessert usually isn’t it. But last week I got adventurous and swapped whole wheat flour into cookie dough for our Sunday night dessert. Wild, I know. I like to live on the edge.
I even teased you about it in a previous post. My apologies.
Here are a few things you should know:
1. These whole wheat cookie bowls don’t taste noticeably “wheat-y.” That’s a win.
2. They contain a generous amount of butter. Whole wheat seems to take the edge off the richness.
3. They’re best served slightly gooey. If raw egg concerns you, bake them fully — they’ll still be tasty, just less molten.
4. Full disclosure: I stood over the sink and ate the crispy skin off a roasted chicken last night, then tried on bathing suits and cried. Overshare? Maybe.
Seriously — these cookie bowls are practically begging to be made.
Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookie Bowls
Makes 4 ramekins (about 3 1/2 x 2 inches)
Ingredients:
1 stick butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar, loosely packed
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose flour)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup chocolate chips
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a bowl, sift together the whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose), baking soda and salt, then set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the softened butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Add the dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Spray four oven-safe ramekins with non-stick spray and divide the dough evenly among them. Each ramekin should hold about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of dough; press the dough into each ramekin to form a bowl shape.
Bake for 18–20 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and the centers are still slightly gooey. Let the ramekins cool for about five minutes until they can be handled, then serve warm with vanilla ice cream.
Note: I haven’t tried turning this exact dough into standalone cookies — the whole wheat pastry flour may not give the same structure — but it works perfectly for cookie bowls.
So bake them — don’t make me ask twice.