Recipe: Nibby whole-wheat sablés

Total time: 40 minutes, plus chilling time for the dough

Servings: Makes about 3 1/2 dozen cookies

Note: Adapted from “Pure Dessert� by Alice Medrich. Cacao nibs are available at Whole Foods stores, Surfas in Culver City, Nicole’s Gourmet Foods in South Pasadena, and well-stocked supermarkets.

1 cup (4.5 ounces) flour

Scant 1 cup (4 ounces) whole wheat flour

1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup cacao nibs

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and whole wheat flour and set aside.

2. In another medium bowl, using the back of a large spoon or with an electric mixer, beat the butter with the sugar, salt and vanilla until smooth and creamy but not fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the cacao nibs and mix to incorporate. Add the flour and mix just until incorporated. Scrape the dough into a mass and, if necessary, knead with your hands a bit, just until smooth.

3. Form the dough into a 12-by-2-inch log. Wrap the log tightly in plastic wrap; refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or preferably overnight.

4. Position the oven racks in the upper and lower third of the oven and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

5. Using a sharp knife, cut the cold dough log into one-fourth-inch slices. Place the cookies at least 1 1/2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Bake until the cookies are light golden brown at the edges, 12 to 16 minutes, rotating the baking sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through baking. Allow the cookies to rest on the sheets about 1 minute to firm up, then transfer them to a rack using a metal spatula. Let them cool completely. Store the cookies in an airtight container.

Each cookie: 69 calories; 1 gram protein; 7 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram fiber; 5 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 12 mg. cholesterol; 15 mg. sodium.