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Sunday, June 29, 2014

Sesame or Peanut Buckwheat Cookies

I know I've already posted several versions of Tahini cookies, and also several versions of Peanut Butter cookies.. and both versions are excellent and essentially the same except for the flavor element.
One uses tahini and is topped with sesame seeds, the other uses peanut butter and is topped with peanuts.
Other than that major factor, the doses and quantities are exactly the same, which is why I'm showing both of them.
What I did this time was swap out the ground almonds for buckwheat flour.  That's it.  And it yields a completely different cookie.  These ones are light and crunchy, unlike their dense counterparts.  It's amazing how buckwheat makes everything seem so light and airy.. light you're floating with your cookie, naturally, flying above your life.
I no longer need to look at the recipe when making these types of cookies (or muffins by the way.. they just.. happen).
Who said you can't freestyle with baking?
Yield 40 cookies
Ingredients
130g (4.6oz) buckwheat flour
170g (6oz) whole wheat flour
100g (3.5oz) room temperature butter
150g (3/4 cup or 5.3oz) cassonade or brown sugar
pinch of salt
1 packet vanilla sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
200g (7oz) tahini or peanut butter
toppings:
various colors of sesame seeds or crushed peanuts
Directions
1.  Sift together the flours, salt, cinnamon, and cinnamon.
2.  In a separate mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugars together, then add the tahini or peanut butter and beat until smooth.  
3.  Get rid of your whip and switch to a wooden spoon.  Add the dry mixture little by little into the wet mixture until all incorporated.  The end result should be crumbly, but should come together if you pack it into a ball.  You may need to add 1 Tbsp water or milk at this point just to help the dough come together.  Sometimes I need to, sometimes I don't.  Knead it well.
4.  Get your toppings ready.  Take a tablespoon sized amount of dough, make a ball with your hands, then dip it into one of the toppings and press it onto your cookie sheet to the shape you want.  Since there is no baking soda or egg in this recipe, the cookies will not expand or change shape while cooking.  
5.  Bake for 180°C 350°F for about 20 minutes.  Carefully remove and let cool on a wire rack.

The correct way to enjoy these is to take a bite.  The brittleness of the cookie will have you getting crumbs everywhere.  This is ok.
Breath in deeply.
Taste the aroma and smell the flavor as it melts on your tongue and fusions with the inside of your mouth.
Now try the other one.  Do the same.
Try to decide which one you like better.  Try to compare..
but fail because they are both equally delicious and incomparable.
Both win.

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