A Month of Cookies - Buckwheat Cocoa Nib Butter Cookies-3

Here's another slice and bake or Icebox cookie recipe that I was tempted to try.  I read quite a few bloggers that had given it great reviews, so I decided to give it a try as well.  The recipe if from Alice Medrich's Pure Dessert cook book and is for Buckwheat butter cookies with cocoa nibs.  Now I could only find cocoa nibs here in the health food store and I could only find raw ones....so I roasted them myself at home in a 250F oven for 20 minutes.  It seems that raw cocoa nibs have a longer shelf life anyway.......so maybe this will work out better for me anyway.  If you'd like to try it as well.....here is the recipe. With  a little more effort you can roll and cut these cookies into pretty shapes.  I am very much enjoying the look of them though......and the convenience factor of the whole refrigerator cookie thing is very high......so I've elected to roll mine into logs to cool and slice......to each his own!

Buckwheat Cocoa Nib Butter Cookies
adapted from Alice Medrich's Pure Dessert

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 3/4 cup buckwheat flour
• 1 cup butter softened
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup roasted cocoa nibs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• pinch of salt

In a bowl mix the flours.  In a stand mixer or mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar and salt until creamy. Now add the nibs and vanilla and beat to incorporate.  Add the flours mixing until incorparated.  You will know it is done when the dough pulls away from the sides of the mixing bowl, is moistened and slightly darkened.  Form into a 2 1/2 inch diameter log, wrap in waxed paper and let set in the fridge to firm up for several hours or overnight.  Preheat oven to 350F. Slice dough into 1/4 inch thick slices and place on parchment lined cookie sheets with  1 1/2 inches between cookies.  Bake until the edges just begin to colour, about 12-14 minutes, rotating cookie sheets halfway through if necessary.  Transfer to wire racks to cool.  Cool before storing in tightlt sealed container.  Cookies are best the second day. On the day of baking some say that the buckwheat flavour is too pronounced.  These are a nice butter cookie that are a bit different, and have a distinct nutty cocoa flavour.  These are very nice with tea or coffee.