Honey-Wheat Cookies

These cookies sounded interesting to me from moment I took a good look at the ingredients -- wheat germ. How... healthy... and un-cookie like. I thought they might appeal to the various people who still wanted to enjoy cookies, but hated all the white flour and sugar in most cookie recipes. This recipe still has white flour and sugar, but it also has that wheat germ adding nutritional value and some honey which adds sweetness, but without as much guilt as white sugar.

The cookies are also rolled in wheat germ before they are baked which gives them a little more crunch and added texture. The standout flavor is actually lemon from the lemon zest incorporated into the dough. When I made the dough I immediately thought of a nice lemon, chamomile tea sweetened with honey because those were the two predominant smells in the dough. Dorie Greenspan mentions that these cookies would be good with tea... which seems like an obvious pairing. :)

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup wheat germ
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp grated lemon zest
1 stick (8 tbsp) unsalted butter at room temp
1/2 cup honey
1 large egg

Whisk together the flour, 1/2 cup of the wheat germ, the baking powder, and salt

Working in the bowl of a stand mixer or in another large bowl, rub the sugar and lemon zest together with your fingers until the sugar is moist. Add the butter and, using the paddle attachment or a hand mixer, beat on medium-high speed for about 2 minutes, until creamy and smooth. Add the honey and beat for another minute or two. Add the egg and beat for about 2 minutes more, until you have a smooth, light, fluffy mixture. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients in 2 portions, mixing only until each addition disappears. Scrape the dough out into a large piece of plastic wrap and wrap well. Chill the dough for at least 2 hours, or up to 2 days.

To Bake: Preheat oven to 350. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.

Put the remaining 1/2 cup wheat germ into a bowl. Remove the chilled dough from the fridge and, working with a spoonful of it at a time, roll the dough between your palms into 1-inch balls. Drop each ball into the wheat germ and turn to coat, then place the balls on the baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch of space between them (these don't spread much.) Use your palms or the bottom of a glass to gently flatten each cookie.

Bake the cookies one sheet at a time for 10 -12 minutes, or until they are just firm to the touch. Transfer the cookies to a rack to cool to room temp.