Buttery Buckwheat Shortbread Cookies

These are rich, buttery, melt-in-the-mouth buckwheat shortbread cookies that only call for 4 basic ingredients plus optional xanthan gum. Buckwheat adds an earthy and nutty flavor to these already delicious cookies!

I love baking with buckwheat flour because of its flavor and nutrition profile. Buckwheat is a great source of minerals like manganese, copper, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, and fiber and it has a unique flavor you either like or don't!

I used to dislike buckwheat in childhood because we ate it plain as cereal or porridge but since discovering all the ways buckwheat can be incorporated in baked goods I've changed my opinion!

I especially like the flavor of this buckwheat chocolate cake, buckwheat oatmeal cookies, pumpkin muffins with buckwheat flour, buckwheat shortbread, and buckwheat apple cake.

This pseudocereal is also great in savory bakes like yeasted buckwheat bread, buckwheat wraps, buckwheat sourdough, and buckwheat flatbread.

Ingredients & substitutes

• Light buckwheat flour has a milder taste than dark buckwheat flour. If you are a buckwheat fan, you can try the darker type. I haven't tested this recipe with other gluten-free flours, so I wouldn't recommend substituting it!
• Powdered sugar dissolves faster than caster or granulated sugar creating a finer texture in cookies. If you only have regular white sugar, simply grind it in a coffee grinder! For a sugar-free version, use powdered artificial sweetener.
• Butter - use high-quality butter, this ingredient will make or bread the recipe! For dairy-free use vegan butter.
• Salt brings out the sweetness in the cookies.
• Vanilla adds the final touch to the flavor!
• Xanthan gum is an optional ingredient, but I recommend using it to avoid crumbly cookies. You can use guar gum instead if you need to.

Step-by-step instructions

Start preheating the oven to 320F/160C.

Sift powdered sugar and add it to buckwheat flour in a large mixing bowl. Add xanthan gum and a pinch of salt and whisk the dry ingredients to incorporate.

Add vanilla and cubed butter to the dry ingredients and mix the dough. The butter can be soft or cold, I've tried it both ways and there wasn't much difference in the end result!

I find it easiest to mix by hand squeezing butter cubes into the flour with your fingers but you can use a wooden spoon instead.

I don't recommend using an electric mixer to avoid incorporating extra air into the dough. The more air is incorporated, the more cookies will puff up during baking.

At first, the dough will be crumbly but it will incorporate and come together as you mix.

Shape the dough into a ball and transfer to a piece of parchment paper.

You don't need to chill the dough before baking but you can keep it in the refrigerator wrapped in foil for up to 3 days.

Roll the dough out about 1cm (¼in) thick. There are a few ways to do it:

• you can roll the dough out on a kitchen counter
• or do it in between two sheets of non-stick baking paper.

I've tried both ways and both work great! If you roll the dough on the counter, you will need a thin metal spatula to transfer the cookies without misshaping them.

You can cut the cookies into circles, stripes, stars, hearts, or anything else you desire!

Transfer shaped cookies onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and reroll the dough.

Prick the cookies with a fork or a toothpick.

Spread the cookies about 2cm (½in) away from each other on the baking sheet. My baking sheet fits 12 cookies and the recipe makes about 18 of them, so you will need 2 baking sheets.

Bake one sheet of cookies at a time for 20-22 minutes at 320F/160C. Once the cookies are done, let them chill on the sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack. Enjoy!

If you plan on dipping the cookies in melted chocolate, wait until the cookies are completely cooled down.

Storage

• These cookies will keep at room temperature for up to two weeks in a bag or an air-tight container.

• You can freeze these cookies for up to 3 months. To freeze, place the cookies into a freezer-friendly bag or container and transfer to the freezer.

• To defrost, pop the cookies into a microwave for a minute or two.

Serving suggestions

Serve these cookies at a party, afternoon tea, or family get-together, or pack them for a picnic.

1. Serve buckwheat shortbread with tea or coffee;
2. Dip the cookies in homemade elderberry jam;
3. Spread almond or peanut butter on the cookies;
4. Serve along with fresh berries and fruit.

Expert tips

• Don't panic when the dough looks crumbly. Keep mixing and it will come together!
• Use light buckwheat flour, not dark.
• Use a digital kitchen scale for best results!
• Get an oven thermometer to make sure your oven doesn't run hot or cold. Mine heats up about 10 degrees more than the set temperature!