It's super easy to add whole grains to fun treats! Whole wheat shortbread cut out cookies are egg-free and fun to decorate.
Whole grains can be a bit tricky, both with the sourcing and grinding and the whole getting the family to enjoy them. I also love using sourdough in my baking as it's easy on our tummies. Sourdough Sugar Cookies are always a hit here. A great way to "hide" whole wheat is with strong flavours such as Whole Wheat Chocolate Cake.
Looking to tweak the ways you bake? We aren't against using regular sugars for treats, but we also just love the taste of honey in our baked goods. You can make Honey-Sweetened Cut Out Cookies or even Honey-Sweetened Gingerbreads.
Key Ingredients
Flour - Grind your own soft white wheat. This has a milder taste than red wheat, but is of course still that whole grain. No grinder, no problem. You can use "better" brands from the store or even just all-purpose.
Sugar - Brown sugar has a taste that holds up to the whole wheat.
Butter - I use salted here to keep the recipe simple.
How to Make Whole Grain Christmas Cookies
***See recipe card below for precise measurements and instructions.***
Step 1: Grind wheat berries.
Step 2: Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Step 3: Place dough on a floured surface.
Step 4: Press or roll out the rough on your floured surface.
Step 5: Cut out all dough, re-rolling as needed.
Step 6: Allow to cool completely before decorating and storing.
FAQs
I love whole wheat here, and it makes for a sturdy dough that doesn't spread when baked. If you aren't yet on a whole grain journey, that's no problem. You can use whole wheat flour from the store. I find that brands like Bob Red's Mill or King Arthur Flour actually are whole grain compared to flours that have been stripped with nutrients added back in. And no worries if you don't love the taste of whole wheat, you can use organic all-purpose here as well.
Summer and winter are simply when the grains are harvested, so no difference there. Red and white have different tastes. The red is a lot stronger and definitely what you think of as whole wheat. You can certainly use it here, but I recommend using white wheat to keep the flavour mild and not overwhelm the cookies.
I went super basic here with just dipping some in melted chocolate and dusting others with powdered sugar. You can do that, eat them plain, or try pressing some chocolate chips into the cookies for faces as soon as they come out of the oven. If you want more ideas, check out Christmas Sourdough Gingerbreads for how to use icing and candies.
They do of course contain gluten and dairy, as shortbread does. However, the key to shortbread is it's egg-free! Egg allergies might be more rare but can still be an issue you can work around. I haven't tried myself but you can pick up a gluten-free 1-to-1 baking mix for the flour to make them gluten-free. You can also use vegan butter sticks to make these vegan! So it's super easy to adapt this recipe to fit many allergens.
Photos by Dante from Shire by the Sea
More Cookie Recipes
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Whole Wheat Shortbread Cut Outs
Ingredients
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup salted butter room temperature
- 2 cups freshly milled whole wheat flour see notes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Beat brown sugar and butter in a stand mixer or bowl with hand mixer until fluffy.
- Slowly add flour in to form a stiff dough.
- Plop dough on a floured surface. If dough seems too soft, add little bits of flour to bring the dough into a more pliable mix.
- Roll out the dough roughly ½-inch thick.
- Using cookie cutters, firmly press cookies and very carefully place on parchment lined cookie sheets leaving a little space between cookies. They will not spread much.
- Re-roll dough and repeat until all dough is used.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes until lightly golden brown. Do not over bake.
- Cool completely on a rack before decorating or storing.
Notes
- You can use any combination of flour from all whole wheat to all all-purpose or split it half and half. Anything goes here!
- I like to decorate simply with melted chocolate or powdered sugar.
- Store in an airtight container on the counter for up to a week. Freeze for longer storage.
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