#alicemedrich Archives

Ladies and Gentlemen, This is Cookie Number 5 (Nibby Buckwheat Butter Cookies)

By threejamigos | December 18, 2018 | Comments 0 Comment

One of my favorite baking goddesses (I have many) is Alice Medrich. Yes, that Alice, Chocolate Maven, Dessert Queen and creator of quite possibly the best damn lemon bars ever. Don’t get me started on her Snickerdoodles, so good. Cookie number 5 is from her book, Pure Desserts, a shortbread cookie with a twist-Nibby Buckwheat Butter Cookies.

If you have been following 3jamigos you know that I fall in the shortbread camp for my favorite type of cookie. Buttery goodness in bite-size morsels with a hint of sweetness, sign me up. Well lucky me, this cookie falls in that camp-buttery, slightly sweet, tender, nice sandy texture, and a cool, slightly bluish brown hue. The cookies get kicked up a notch with the addition of cocoa nibs. This adds a subtle hint of chocolate at the finish. The color and slight earthiness from the buckwheat and the “is it chocolate or isn’t it?” from the nibs, are a cookie mindblower.

So if you are looking for a shortbread that is a little different but still buttery delicious, put this one on your list.

Bonus: Easy to make.

Do not overbeat when creaming the butter and sugar which will incorporate too much air into the dough (I might have done this which accounts for the puffiness and soft edges). The mixture should be smooth and creamy. Add flour and beat until it comes together, don’t overmix.

The dough can be shaped into a log, chilled and finished as slice and bake cookies. The dough can be stored in the fridge or freezer so you have freshly baked cookies when family and friends drop by. Everyone will think you are a badass baking queen.

Or you can get fancy-schmancy and roll out the dough and cut out cookies for a more festive look. Put the dough in a gallon sized Ziploc bag and roll to the edges. This will give you a sheet of dough about 1/4 inch thick, perfect for cutout cookies. I used a fluted metal cutter which may work better than a plastic one as you have to cut through the nibs. To add festive bling, sprinkle the cookies with sanding sugar and a touch of flake salt (like Maldon) before baking. That takes these cookies to the “bend and snap” (Legally Blond-remember?) level of attention.

Chill the dough after cutting out the cookies, the edges won’t spread as much. I was having oven issues so the edges ended up less defined. But still yummy!

Okay, not hooked yet? Still looking for a classic shortbread, try this one, my favorite traditional Scottish Shortbread or Bouchon’s Shortbread.

Print Pin

Nibby Buckwheat Butter Cookie

A delicious riff on shortbread, buckwheat flour and cocoa nibs take these cookies to a new level.

Course cookies

Cuisine American

Keyword NIbby Buckwheat Butter Cookies

Author Adapted from 101 Cookbooks (Alice Medrich)

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups 5.6 ounces all-purpose flour
3/4 cup 3 ounces buckwheat flour
1/2 pound 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup cacao nibs
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Instructions

Whisk the all-purpose and buckwheat flours together in a medium bowl. Set aside. In a medium bowl, with the back of a large spoon or with an electric mixer, beat the butter with the sugar and salt for about 1 minute, until smooth and creamy but not fluffy. Mix in the nibs and vanilla. Add the flours and mix just until incorporated. Scrape the dough into a mass and, if necessary, knead it with your hands a few times, just until smooth.
Form the dough into a 12 by 2 inch log. Wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or, preferably overnight. Or place dough in a gallon ziploc and roll to the edges of the bag. Dough will be about 1/4 inch thick. Chill thoroughly before cutting out shapes. These cookies do puff and expand a bit so also chill dough after cutting to ensure crisp edges.
Position the racks in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Line the baking sheets with parchment paper.
Use a sharp knife to cut the cold dough log into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Place the cookies at least 1 1/2 inches apart on the baking sheets.* Or follow instructions for cut-out cookies.
Optional: Sprinkle cookies with a bit of sanding sugar and an even tinier bit of flake salt like Maldon before baking.
Bake until the cookies are just beginning to color at the edges, 12 to 14 minutes, rotating the baking sheet from front to back halfway through the baking.
Cool the cookies in the pans on a rack, or slide the parchment liners carefully onto the rack to free up the pans. Let cool completely.

Notes

The cookies are delicious fresh but even better the next day. They can be stored in an airtight container for at least one month. My batch made about 30 3-inch cookies. Recipe states approximately 48 2-1/2 inch cookies.

(Coconut Cookie Sticks) Cuckoo for Coconuts by Alice Medrich

By threejamigos | September 6, 2016 | Comments 0 Comment

I snappd this photo at Black Sand Beach on the Big Island. When I saw the sign on the tree, one of my favorite cookies just popped into my head, Alice Medrich’s Coconut Sticks. Hmmm….I wonder why? I love her coconut sticks. A riff on biscotti, they often end up in a holiday cookie tin or in a cellophane bag with a cute ribbon as an appreciative thank you gift.

Nowadays I often find myself using coconut in my cooking & baking. This is SO surprising since for as long as I can remember I have HATED coconut. As a kid the sight of coconut anything, cake, cookies candy elicited an automatic “Ewwww!” The feeling persisted well into adulthood. Maybe it’s age, but I have grown to like coconut right along with brussels sprouts and naps.

With my changed coconut conviction. I have jumped off the deep end. Curries without coconut milk, not happening. My Ranger cookies and World’s Best Cookies are made with shredded coconut, definitely bumping up the chewiness and flavor. And of course, every batch of homemade granola has flaked coconut for that extra zing and crunch.

It’s like a new found secret weapon

I love making and nibbling on these Coconut Sticks. Thin, crispy and buttery with shreds of coconut dancing through, they are the perfect foil for a steaming cup of tea or that morning latte. This recipe comes from Alice Medrich’s book Chewy, Crispy, Crunchy Melt-in-Your Mouth Cookies. If you love cookies add this book to your collection.

Did I mention these crunchy wonders are EASY to make? Well of course they are, you can make the dough by hand or in a food processor (ah, yes-thereby upping them to the STUPID EASY category). Another wonderful slice and bake refrigerator cookie. Press the dough into a loaf pan. Chill. Slice. Bake. Eat. Donzo. Easy Peasy.

What took me so long to become a coconut convert? I don’t know. Guess I will have to make up for lost time.

Life is good, dream coconuts.

Cuckoo for Coconuts (Alice Medrich's Coconut Sticks)

Buttery coconut cookie sticks.

Course cookies, desserts

Cuisine American

Keyword Coconut Cookie Sticks

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 15

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups 5.625 ounces unbleached all-purpose flour
2/3 cup 4.625 ounces sugar
1 cup ~3 ounces shredded dried unsweetened coconut
Scant 1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons cold water

Instructions

Prepare: A 5-x-9-inch loaf pan, lined on the bottom and sides with foil or plastic wrap
Put the flour, sugar, coconut, and salt in a large mixing bowl and whisk to blend.
Cut the butter into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or two knives until the butter is reduced to small pieces.
With the fingertips of both hands, lightly toss and rub the mixture together until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
Combine the vanilla and cold water in a small pitcher or cup.
Stir the flour and butter mixture with a fork while drizzling the water and vanilla into the bowl. Continue to toss and stir lightly with the fork or your fingers until all of the dry ingredients are slightly damp. The dough should remain crumbly and stick together only when pinched.
Food Processor method: Place flour, sugar, coconut and salt in food processor bowl. Pulse 2-3 times to combine.
Cut butter into 1/2 inch cubes and scatter on top of flour mixture. Pulse until mixture reveals coarse meal. Small lumps are okay.
Combine water and vanilla extract in small cup. Continue to pulse the flour mixture and drizzle water into processor bowl.
Pulse into mixture starts to clump. It should not come together completely but will still be crumbly. It will stay together if pinched.
If using a loaf pan, dump the mixture into the lined pan and spread it evenly. Press it very firmly, making a thin layer. Or dump the mixture onto a piece of foil on a baking sheet and distribute it evenly over an area about 4 by 9 or 10 inches. Press it firmly, squaring up the edges, to make an even compact layer about 1/2-3/4 inch thick. Fold the foil over the dough and wrap it tightly. Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven.
Unwrap the dough and transfer it to a cutting board. Use a long sharp knife to cut the dough crosswise into 1/4-inch (or thinner if possible) slices. Use the knife to transfer each slice to the lined or greased cookie sheets, placing the slices 1 inch apart. The slices will be fragile and require the support of the knife in transit; the results will be worth your careful effort.
Bake for 11 to 14 minutes (baking time will vary depending on thickness of cookie), until the cookies are golden with golden brown edges. Rotate the pans from top to bottom and from front to back halfway through the baking time to ensure even baking.
For lined pans, set the pans or just the liners on racks to cool; for unlined pans, use a metal spatula to transfer the cookies to racks. Cool the cookies completely before stacking or storing.
May be kept in an airtight container for several days.