Hello from the other side. I survived cookbook edits round two, which is the most intense round because a copy editor went through and pointed out my every inconsistency. Oh, my perfectionistic heart! The book and I are better for it, though, and part of me loved arguing over the use of among vs. between.
I can’t wait to get caught up with you guys and caught up on sleep, too. Today, I’m sharing an incredible cookie recipe from Alanna Taylor-Tobin of Bojon Gourmet, and the author of the new gluten-free cookbook Alternative Baker. Alanna has cheered me on through my cookbook-making process and helped test several of my recipes (thank you, Alanna!).
I’m in awe of her work in this new cookbook. Alanna is a trained pastry chef who has mastered gluten-free flours and created over 100 absolutely stunning dessert recipes (each with a photo) in her new cookbook. If you love baking pies and are curious about nutritious and delicious gluten-free flours like buckwheat, chestnut, teff and mesquite, this book is for you.
These cookies called my name from the cookie chapter because they use buckwheat flour, which I love and have in my pantry, and chocolate. Loads of chocolate. (I had also admired these cookies on another friend named Alana’s blog, Fix Feast Flair. Check them out there, too!)
The buckwheat lends this sort of mysterious nutty flavor to the background, and it’s pretty magical. Her version in the book includes bergamot (or orange zest), which sounded lovely, but I’ve had a rough week and found myself craving some pure chocolate comfort food. So I skipped the zest this time, but I’ll try her orange version next time.
I busted out my stand mixer for these babies (although I think you could use a hand mixer if you are patient enough to stand there for a while) and found tapioca flour with all the other Bob’s Red Mill products at my nearest grocery store (although, I think you can use arrowroot starch or cornstarch instead). If you buy buckwheat flour to make these beauties, she has nine other buckwheat recipes in her book, and I have buckwheat pancakes, waffles and crêpes for you, too. Have a great weekend!
Buckwheat Double Chocolate Cookies
This gluten-free double chocolate cookie recipe is made with buckwheat flour, which lends a delicious nutty flavor. These cookies totally taste like brownies. Note that you will need a stand mixer or electric hand mixer for this recipe! Recipe yields 30 small cookies (mine were a little bigger than they were supposed to be so I ended up with about 24).
- Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line 2 rimless cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Place the butter in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan set over the lowest possible heat. Add 8 ounces of the chocolate (not all of it!) and melt together, stirring frequently to prevent the chocolate from scorching. Continue cooking until the mixture is pleasantly warm, but not super hot, to the touch. Remove from the heat and keep warm. Sift the buckwheat flour, tapioca flour and baking powder into a small bowl and set aside.
- Meanwhile, place the eggs, sugar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and whip on medium-high speed until the mixture is very light and fluffy, 5 minutes (or use a mixing bowl and hand mixer). Turn the mixer to low and stir in the vanilla until just combined, then the warm chocolate butter mixture. Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until combined. Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a flexible silicone spatula to fold in the remaining 4 ounces chopped chocolate.
- If the batter is very runny, let it cool for a few minutes until it firms to the consistency of a thick brownie batter. Use a #40 spring-loaded ice cream scoop or 2 spoons to drop heaping tablespoons of batter onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them at least 2 inches apart. Top each cookie with a few chunks of chocolate and a few flecks of flaky salt.
- Bake the cookies until puffed and cracked and the edges are set, 8–12 minutes, rotating the pans front to back and top to bottom halfway through baking. Let cool on the pans. Enjoy warm or at room temperature. The cookies are best the day of baking but will keep, airtight at room temperature, for up to 3 days.
Notes
Recipe from Alternative Baker by Alanna Taylor-Tobin of Bojon Gourmet.
*Chocolate note: I used Trader Joe’s enormous Belgian dark chocolate bar to make these (54% cacao mass).
**Potential tapioca starch substitutions: I think arrowroot starch or cornstarch might work just as well, but haven’t tried, so please let a comment if you do!
***How to warm eggs to room temperature quickly: If you forget to pull these out of the fridge before you’re ready to bake cookies (cough, me), just put your eggs in a bowl and pour hot water over them. If you do this when you start preparing the ingredients, the eggs should reach room temperature by the time you need them.
Bergamot/orange variation: Add 1 ½ teaspoons packed finely grated zest from 1 medium bermagot or orange to the chocolate and butter mixture as it melts.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
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