Buckweath and chocolate cookies

I like to use non-wheat flours when I bake. With a different flour a recipe can completely change: the texture, the taste, the smell and the color also. And for a more intense and rich flavor I like whole grain flours instead of refined ones (and they are healthier too). One of my favorite grain is spelt (even if my blog is very young I have already published a spelt apple cake and a no-knead bread where spelt flour is used) but I love also rye, barley, and buckwheat which is not a grain but a pseudo-cereal from which it is possible to produce a flour suitable also in a gluten-free diet. I like buckwheat's deep dark color, its intense flavor and nutty taste and I use it sometimes also to make bread.
In these buckwheat and chocolate cookies I used a combination of buckwheat flour, whole grain spelt flour (for an even nuttier taste), and cocoa powder (for enhancing the color and the chocolate flavor) to make a very original and unusual version of chocolate chip cookies. Since whole grain flours tend to produce a dough on the dry side, I used brown sugar to increase moisture. For flavoring, I added vanilla extract and a pinch of cinnamon that can be substituted for other spices (for example cardamom or nutmeg) or even nothing). Swapping spelt flour for a gluten-free one (like rice or almond or corn or other of your preference) makes these cookies completely gluten-free.
They go well with a cup of tea, especially if flavored (cardamom, cinnamon, ...), with coffee or with a glass of milk, then they are perfect for an afternoon tea but also as a guilt-free sweet treat.

Buckwheat and chocolate cookies

makes about 28 cookies

150 g buckwheat flour

75 g whole grain spelt flour

70 g butter

70 g brown sugar (or unrefined cane sugar)

1 egg, slightly beaten

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

80 g dark chocolate, chopped or in chips

2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp baking powder

1 pinch salt

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line with parchment paper one baking sheet.  Sift the flour with cocoa and baking powder into a large bowl. Add the sugar and butter, diced. Rapidly mix the ingredients, then add the vanilla, cinnamon, egg  and salt and amalgamate. Then stir in the chopped chocolate (or chocolate chips). Let the dough rest in the fridge for at least one hour. The dough is a bit sandy and not very easy to handle; then using a tbsp measuring scoop, scoop out the dough onto the prepared baking sheet, evenly spaced. You can flatten them with your hands or leave them more rounded, as I did. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, then remove from the oven, wait 5 minutes and transfer to a cooling rack.