Nibbly Buckwheat Cookies

I saw this recipe a few months back and have been wanting to make it ever since. I made several modifications, notably using different flours and adding cranberries and nuts.

They were pretty easy to make. Standard cookie dough then roll into a log and refrigerate. When chilled, take them out and slice and bake. The result is a delicious shortbread-like cookie with bits of chocolate, cranberries, and nuts. Yum!

Nibbly Buckwheat Cookies

3/4 cup buckwheat flour

1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/8 cup rye flour

1/8 cup flaxseed meal (ground flaxseeds)

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup chopped dried cranberries

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1/4 cup chopped dark chocolate

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Whisk flours (and flax) together in a medium bowl. Set aside. In a medium bowl, beat the butter with the sugar and salt for about 1 minute, until smooth and creamy but not fluffy. Mix in the cranberries, walnuts, chocolate and vanilla. Add the flours and mix just until incorporated. Scrape the dough into a mass and, if necessary, knead it with your hands a few times, just until smooth.

Form the dough into a 12 by 2 inch log. Wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or, preferably overnight. 

Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Line the baking sheets with parchment paper.

Use a sharp knife to cut the cold dough log into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Place the cookies at least 1 1/2 inches apart on the baking sheets.

Bake until the cookie are just beginning to color at the edges, 12 to 14 minutes, rotating the baking sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through the baking. Cool the cookies in the pans on a rack, or slide the parchment liners carefully onto the rack to free up the pans. Let cool completely. The cookies are delicious fresh but even better the next day. They can be stored in an airtight container for at least one month.

Makes forty-eight 2 1/2-inch cookies.