Buckwheat-Cardamom Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Buckwheat-Cardamom Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Buckwheat-Cardamom Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Recipe by Martin Philip
70 Reviews 4.2 out of 5 stars

These oversized chocolate chunk cookies, made with buckwheat flour, feature rich, nutty browned butter and the signature flavor of ground cardamom. Crispy on the edges and softer toward the center, they’re a chocolate chip cookie lover’s dream come true. Special thanks to baker-blogger Joy Wilson (Joy the Baker), whose Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies with Pecans are the inspiration for these. 

Prep
20 mins
Bake
10 to 12 mins
Total
1 hr 50 mins
Yield
12 large cookies
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Buckwheat-Cardamom Chocolate Chunk Cookies - select to zoom
Buckwheat-Cardamom Chocolate Chunk Cookies - select to zoom
Buckwheat-Cardamom Chocolate Chunk Cookies - select to zoom
Buckwheat-Cardamom Chocolate Chunk Cookies
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Instructions

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  1. To brown the butter: Place half the butter (113g) in a medium skillet and melt it over medium heat, swirling the pan occasionally. The butter will foam and froth as it cooks and start to crackle and pop. Once the crackling stops, keep a close eye on the melted butter, continuing to swirl the pan at intervals. The butter will become fragrant, and brown bits will form on the bottom. Once the bits are amber brown (about 2 1/2 to 3 minutes or so after the sizzling stops), remove the butter from the burner and pour it into a small bowl, brown bits and all. Allow it to cool for 20 minutes. 

    Brown Butter Rye Shortbread – Step 1

  2. To make the dough: In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the remaining 114g of butter with the brown sugar for 3 to 5 minutes, until the mixture is very smooth. Beat in the vanilla. 

  3. Pour the cooled brown butter into the bowl along with the granulated sugar. Beat for 2 minutes, until smooth; the mixture will lighten in color and become fluffy. 

  4. Add the eggs and beat for another minute.

  5. Add the flour, salt, baking soda, and cardamom, beating on low speed just until everything is thoroughly combined. 

  6. Use a spatula to fold in the chopped chocolate.

  7. Scoop the dough into 12 equal pieces (about 90g each); a muffin scoop works well here. Place onto a piece of parchment paper, waxed paper, or plastic wrap, cover, and refrigerate for at least one hour (until firm), or up to two days. 

  8. To bake the cookies: About 15 minutes before you're ready to begin baking, preheat your oven to 375°F with racks in the center and upper third. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) three baking sheets. If you don’t have three pans, plan to bake in batches.

  9. Arrange four cookies on each pan, leaving as much room as possible between them. Sprinkle the cookies with coarse salt

  10. Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are just starting to turn golden brown. Remove them from the oven and allow them to rest on the pans for at least 5 minutes before moving them. They can cool completely right on the pans, or transfer them to a rack to cool more quickly. 

  11. Storage information: Store cookies, well wrapped, at room temperature for several days; freeze for longer storage. (See "tips," below, for details on freezing.)

Tips from our Bakers

  • Our preferred buckwheat flour comes from The Birkett Mills in upstate New York. Ground from whole buckwheat, it’s sifted to yield a lighter-textured, milder-flavored flour. 

  • For best results, we recommend using freshly ground cardamom in these cookies or our Cloud Forest Ground Cardamom. We recognize that cardamom is one of those potentially “controversial” flavors, enjoyed by many but also disliked by some. If you don’t enjoy cardamom, leave it out; though honestly, the entire character of the cookie will change. If you do like cardamom and feel you might like to add more, mix the dough as directed and bake a test cookie. If it’s not as cardamom-forward as you like, add more spice to the remainder of the dough.  

  • Use your favorite flavors of chocolate; we prefer a 1:1 blend of semisweet and bittersweet chocolate here, but choose any chocolate (or combination of chocolates) you like. Note that milk chocolate will melt more readily, creating soft pockets of melted chocolate (rather than discrete chocolate chunks) in the cookies.  

  • The dough for these cookies freezes well. Place the scooped balls of dough onto a baking sheet and place the baking sheet in the freezer, lightly covered. Once frozen, place the dough balls in an airtight container or plastic bag and return to the freezer for up to two months. To bake, place frozen dough balls on a parchment-lined or lightly greased baking sheet and let them thaw while you preheat your oven. Bake as directed above, adding time as necessary to account for the coldness of the dough. 

  • If you don't have any buckwheat flour, these cookies can be made with a blend of all-purpose and white whole wheat flours in a pinch. Substitute 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (135g) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour and 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons (135g) King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour for the buckwheat. Follow the recipe as otherwise written. While the cookies won't have quite the same depth of flavor or tenderness, they'll still be delicious! 

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