Adapted from the 1940’s Woman’s Home Companion Cook Book, this cookie is our favorite family baking tradition at Christmas. It’s thin, crisp and scented with lots of fresh orange zest. Make the dough a day or two ahead. The yield of cookies depends on the size of the cookie cutter used. Cookies keep on the counter in an airtight container for a week (but they won't last that long, trust me).
Place a sheet of wax paper or parchment on a flat surface. Place a sifter or fine sieve in the center. Measure the flours and baking powder into the sifter and sift through. If there are a few flakes of whole wheat left, discard them.
In a medium bowl using a hand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar on medium speed until sandy and fluffy in texture. Slowly add the egg and orange zest and blend in. Add in the flour and blend on lowest speed (or mix by hand) until dough is smooth. The dough will be stiff at first, then soften. Split the dough into two portions. Form each piece into a flattened disk shape. Wrap dough disks well and refrigerate about 2 hours or overnight. When ready to bake, remove dough from the refrigerator and allow to stand about 1 hour at room temperature. You want the dough to be soft enough to roll but still chilled.
Pre-heat the oven to 325°F. To roll out your cookies, place each dough disk between two sheets of wax paper or parchment, then roll with a rolling pin until about ⅛″ thick. Start in the center and roll out to the edges in all directions. Place the rolled dough in the paper back in the refrigerator for 10 minutes. Remove from the refrigerator and cut out shapes with cookie cutters. Place the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment. You can bake cookies directly on a sprayed and wiped cookie sheet. They may spread a bit more.
Whisk together the extra egg with 1 tablespoon of water to make an egg wash. This makes your decorations stick. Using a pastry brush, brush the cookies lightly with egg wash and sprinkle with sugars. Bake at 325 degrees approximately 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden brown at the edges. Timing will depend on your ovens. Allow cookies to cool for a minute then remove with a metal spatula to a cooling rack. Cool completely and place in an airtight container.