Caramelized White Chocolate Buckwheat Cookies

Buckwheat is a taste I keep close to the heart. Its roasted chestnut undertones, with slight hints of green bitterness, remind me of my mom who first introduced me to the grain during my adolescent years. However, having been born and raised in El Salvador, buckwheat was neither a staple nor familiar food for my mom. She too was introduced to this grain–that turns into a flour with a cement hue–through her Russian coworkers, who she worked with many, many years ago. 

In writing and testing this recipe, I wanted to accentuate the robust flavors that I love so much about buckwheat. The caramelized white chocolate is there to enhance the buckwheat flour’s nutty notes and disrupt its earthiness at the same time. The cinnamon and nutmeg add subtle depth to the caramel flavors that are so pronounced in this cookie, but I imagine all sorts of spices working just as well in their place. No matter which way you decide to arrange this recipe, my hope is that buckwheat becomes a taste you keep close to the heart as well.

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Caramelized White Chocolate Buckwheat Cookies

Course: Dessert

Keyword: Buckwheat, White Chocolate

Author: Shawn

Ingredients

For the caramelized white chocolate:

• 16 oz. white chocolate chopped; see note

For the cookies:

• 1 cup unsalted butter chopped
• 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup buckwheat flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 cup brown sugar lightly packed
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs room temperature
• 1 ⅓ cup caramelized white chocolate chopped
• Flaky sea salt for sprinkling (optional)

Instructions

For the caramelized white chocolate:

• Preheat the oven to 250°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and add the chopped white chocolate onto the prepared baking sheet.
• Place the chocolate in the oven for 10 minutes. Then, remove from the oven and thoroughly stir and fold the chocolate onto itself a few times.
• Continue to caramelize the chocolate for another 50 minutes (1 hour total), ensuring to stir and fold the chocolate every 10 minutes until it has developed a light golden brown color.
• When the chocolate has caramelized, it will look rough and bumpy. To smooth it out, use either a rubber spatula while applying a lot of pressure or a food processor. If using a food processor, process the chocolate for a couple of minutes or until it becomes smooth and creamy.
• Pour the caramelized white chocolate onto a parchment lined baking sheet and set it in the freezer to firm up, about 15 minutes.

For the cookies:

• In a pot over medium heat, melt the butter. With a silicone spatula, stir the butter frequently as it begins to brown. The butter will begin to melt and foam, then the foam will form smaller bubbles. As the butter begins to emit a nutty aroma, continue to cook and stir the butter, until the butter develops a brown color. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, buckwheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.
• To a large bowl, add the sugar and browned butter. Whisk together until just combined. Add the vanilla extract and whisk until just incorporated.
• Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking vigorously after each one. Continue to whisk until the mixture lightens in color.
• Add the dry ingredients and gently fold the ingredients together until most of the flour has been incorporated. Then, add the chopped caramelized white chocolate and continue to fold until the chocolate is evenly dispersed throughout the dough.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Measure 1 ½ oz., or 2 ½ tablespoon’s worth, of dough for each cookie. Place each cookie on the prepared baking sheet. Chill the dough, uncovered, for 2 hours in the fridge.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the oven racks on the top and bottom thirds of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and place 6 dough balls on each sheet, leaving them 2” apart. Add more pieces of caramelized white chocolate to the tops of each cookie.
• Bake the cookies for 5 minutes, then take each sheet and bang them on the top of the stove to deflate them.
• Switch the positions of the sheets and bake the cookies for 5 more minutes, banging them again after 3 minutes and once more when they have finished baking. The cookies should be crisp on the outside and slightly underdone in the middle.
• Allow the cookies to cool on the sheets for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt over the top of each cookie.
• Continue baking the remaining dough balls or store in the freezer, covered, to bake later.

Notes

Ensure you are buying high quality white chocolate with a high percentage cocoa butter. Some brands with high percentages include Guittard, Lindt, and Valrhona. I used Lindt for this recipe. 

Enjoy! <3