The other day, I came across an old cookbook that Jim’s aunt Maria gave me. Maida Heatter’s Book of Great Cookies, from 1977. It’s covered in notes from Maria—her favorites, her leave ‘ems—with charm that only an old, used cookbook can have. And it turned out to be a Christmas miracle; every recipe I’ve tried is delicious and practically fool-proof—the perfect pick me-up just as I got cookie fatigue, bored of the regular olds and needing some inspiration. Maida, who won a James Beard award for this cookbook, makes cookies exciting.
The whole wheat peanut butter cookie with raw sugar immediately caught my eye—it’s made of whole-wheat pastry flour, and the only sweetener is raw sugar. It’s probably a cookie conceived in the 60′s, a total hippie-cookie. What’s even more exciting though, is that it is good. Real good.
The cookies are crunchy, hardly sweet, and taste mildly of peanut butter. The nutty whole-wheat pastry flour reiterates the peanut butter flavor, as well as emphasizes the raw sugar’s crunch with it’s grainy texture. The texture, really, is the best part—at once buttery and crumbly, with crisp edges and a moist but not soft middle. Cracker-like.
It’s a very subtle, sophisticated cookie—an adult’s cookie just perfect sitting among the other Christmas chocolate, sugar, and gingerbread cookies. It could also accompany a cheese plate. Or—better yet—you could serve these late Christmas Eve, leaving a few with a tall glass of milk for that fat, jolly guy. Just remember the carrots for his donkeys.
Whole-Wheat Peanut Butter Cookies
from Maida Heatter’s Book of Great Cookies
makes 48 cookies
- 1 ¼ cups unsifted whole-wheat pastry flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- generous ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ pound (1 stick) butter
- ½ cup smooth peanut butter
- 1 cup raw sugar
- 1 egg
Sift together this flour, baking soda, and salt and set aside. In the large bowl of a stand mixer cream the butter. Add the peanut butter and beat until smooth. Add the raw sugar and beat well, then add the egg and beat well again. On low speed gradually add the sifted dry ingredients, scraping the bowl with a rubber spatula and beating only until smooth.
Tear off a piece of wax paper about 16 inches long. Spoon the dough lenthwise down the center of the paper in a heavy strip about 10 to 11 inches long. Fold the long sides of the paper over the dough and, with your hands, shape the dough into a long, round or oblong roll, 12 inches long. Wrap the dough in the wax paper.
Slide a cookie sheet under the dough and transfer it to the freezer or refridgerator until firm (or as much longer as you wish).
Unwrap the dough and replace it on the wax paper. With a sharp knife cut the dough into slices ¼ inch think and place them 1 inche apart on unbuttered cookie sheets.
Bake for 15 minutes or a little longer, until the cookies are lightly colored and semifirm to the touch. Reverse the sheets top to bottom and front to back to insure even browning.
With a wide metal spatula transfer the cookies to the rack to cool.
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December 16, 2008 at 7:16 pm
They look incredibly delicious!! Peanut butter is so fatty but so good. With a glass of milk I should find a piece of heaven. I’ll try out the recipe tonight!
December 16, 2008 at 7:21 pm
Those loook great Robin. The 12 day…there was a Maida Heatter’s recipe that one of us did. Said it was no fail!!! Lucky you to get that book!
December 16, 2008 at 10:53 pm
Oh my. These have my name all over them. I’ll share a couple with the jolly guy, I suppose, but the donkeys? They shall have none of my carrots. Bah-humbug. : )
December 17, 2008 at 1:30 am
This does sound interesting! And that photo of the peanut butter makes me want to stick my hand through the laptop screen!
December 17, 2008 at 4:48 pm
Judy: Oo, never seen that recipe. I’m intrigued.
Kristin: Yeah, good carrots are precious items around here too. :)
Joey: I’ve finished eating the sample cookies I made for myself (have to save the rest of the dough for baking on Christmas Eve) and now I’m eying up the jar. mmm.
December 17, 2008 at 6:51 pm
These cookies are the best kind. So few ingredients yet so much taste.
December 18, 2008 at 3:02 pm
Hi Robin, I just found your site and love the About section. Can’t wait to read more, but I just wanted to say that I tried out a Maida Heatter recipe a couple of weeks ago as well- chocolate cookies with gin soaked raisins–and boy were they good–so different, too! Looking forward to reading more of your blog.
December 18, 2008 at 4:20 pm
Those photos are making me drool. Well done :)
December 18, 2008 at 4:22 pm
I want. On the list they go. They may have to replace some old Xmas favorites….
December 18, 2008 at 5:13 pm
a sophisticated cookie? yes please! yum.
December 19, 2008 at 10:52 am
Awesome stuff lately Robin- the cookies especially. I love the idea of peanut butter cookies that aren’t cloyingly sweet, and a good dark Molasses cookie has always been my favorite. I haven’t used blackstrap before- this kinda makes me curious.
Have a wonderful Christmas! I can’t wait to hear about the meal you make!
December 21, 2008 at 12:10 pm
Wow. . .these sound fabulous. I will have to quadruple the recipe for my family, but it sounds worth it! I grind my own wheat flour so I will have to experiment to come up with the proper texture. Thanks for the recipe.
December 22, 2008 at 4:58 am
Nice description of the cookie. If it’s good enough for a cheese plate then I’m sold.
December 23, 2008 at 5:39 am
What a brilliant recipe – can imagine the whole wheat flour gives a fabulous nutty flavour to these cookies. Yum! Maida Heatter’s a forgotten gem – I once stumbled across one of her books, chocolate I think, and the recipes are so delectable, thanks for posting this cookie one, shall have to try it…
December 25, 2008 at 8:48 am
Why did Barry Goldwater have to shave with peanut-butter? I guess he’d used up all the shaving-cream on shaving-cream-and-jelly sandwiches.
December 26, 2008 at 11:48 am
These sound almost healthy!
January 2, 2009 at 8:52 am
Don’t you just love old cookbooks. I have a cookbook from 1947 called “The Working Wife’s Cookbook.” How funny is that. Everything is prepared the night before. Just what every working woman wants to do right?
Anyway, great looking cookies. Love me some Peanut Butter, any way it comes.
January 7, 2009 at 12:54 pm
These sound delicious and I’m actually in the midst of baking them, but now I see that it looks like the oven temperature is missing. I may just take a guess (375?).
May 14, 2010 at 4:54 am
i love both peanut butter and cheeze as the filling of my morning sandwhich.*.,
July 27, 2010 at 12:02 pm
i am allergic to peanuts so i can only taste a bit of peanut butter even if i love it so much.-’~
September 13, 2010 at 11:25 pm
i love the taste of peanut butter but i have peanut allergy so i cant eat it”,`
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