Buckwheat Pine Nut Biscuits
I have good news and I have bad news.
The good news is that I have a new cookie recipe for you today.
The bad news is that these cookies taste like rocks.
Like… not even a joke. Rocks.
But imagine that, for some reason… you want to eat rocks… because they sort of taste like cookies.
I dunno. If you’re confused… it’s because I’m a little confused.
Let me try to find some more words.
Let me start from the beginning.
These cookies are a simple mix of buckwheat flour, all-purpose flour, sugar, butter and egg yolk.
Buckwheat isn’t actually a wheat… it’s a fruit seed ground into a flour. It has a very distinct taste… somewhere along the lines of earthy and fruity and chewy. Yes… it tastes chewy.
If you’re the kind of person who usually reaches out for a gooey chocolate cookie, these are not the cookies for you. Don’t make them. You’ll only want to kick me in the knee cap and I totally hate when people do that.
If you are the kind of person who likes a less sweet, more flavorful and crumbly cookie to have with tea.. then these are totally the cookie for you.
You know the smell of wet concrete? It smells amazing, right? These cookies kind of taste like wet concrete smells.
You might think I’m doing an awful job of describing these cookies. I promise that if you make them you’ll be in the same predicament that I’m in. They are so strange… and I’ve already eaten my way through half the batch.
Bottom line: I like these cookies with milky tea… despite the fact that they sorta taste like rocks. I. Like. Them.
You can buy Buckwheat Flour at Whole Foods in the bulk section (so you don’t have to buy a ton) and Arrowhead Mills also sells it.
Buckwheat Pine Nut Biscuits
makes about 12 to 16 cookies
slightly adapted from The Essential New York Times Cookbook
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 large egg yolk
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, sugar, salt and baking powder.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter until softened. Add egg yolk and beat until well incorporated, about 1 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl to insure that the butter and yolk are thoroughly mixed. On low speed, beat in the dry ingredients in two additions. Add the toasted pine nuts with the last of the flour. Blend well to incorporate. Dough will be on the dry side.
Roll generous tablespoonfuls of dough into balls and place 1 1/2 inches apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Use a fork to press the dough into a thick round.
Bake for 15-20 minutes until slightly golden along the edges. The cookies won’t brown all that much, but 20 minutes should be enough time in the oven. Cool on the sheet for 10 minutes then remove to cool on a rack.
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This is very interesting! My son was looking in the screen and said” I want those stone cookies ” =)
My dad used to make buckwheat pancakes and we’d call them cement pancakes. HAHAHAHAHA!!! These look the same.
Thanks for sharing. :)
i have had the exact same problem (is it a problem?) with buckwheat. the first time i made buckwheat flapjacks i almost spat them back out. but then…you get addicted. its like black licorice or something. and then you just can’t stop eating it.
anyways, thanks for the great buckwheat recipe. can’t wait to get in there and try it again.
I made buckwheat scones not too long ago with some strawberry jam inside, and I agree with your description of the buckwheat. Totally wet concrete, chewy tasting, crumbly, kind of baked good. I liked them, but when I gave the bf one he wrinkled his nose, almost gagged, and spit it out. oops
Haha! I totally hear ya! The 1st time I made buckwheat pancakes at home, it reminded me of wet sand!! took me back in time to when I used to make “mud cakes” :)
Interestingly though buckwheat pancakes have quite a fan following at my place! Maybe its their earthy nature or the fact that they’r served loaded with fruit and syrup, but my hubby and 3yrold can eat up a batch full without complaints and that makes me VERY happy!
i totally made your whole wheat sunflower seed bread using half pastry flour and half buckwheat flour. i also decided to make them into muffins…they look and feel like mini hockey pucks but taste surprisingly good!
It seems that even a dunk in that delicious looking coffee or tea couldn’t save those cookies! Better luck with your next baking undertaking, Joy!
Um… I don’t think I need the luck… But thanks?
I think you missed her point, Georgia…
Wow…
What’s with some of the rude comments, here?
Anyway. I want to try these making these out of curiosity. It’s always fun to try unique, random recipes lol. And besides, it’s a Joy the Baker recipe!
Alas, I don’t have buckwheat flour. Or pine nuts. I’ll have to find some other things I’ll use the buckwheat flour for before I buy it.
Oh, also, just wanted to say that I like your honesty and the fact that you’re not afraid to post something totally out of the box!
.
To be fair Georgia, she did say these weren’t for everyone. Honestly, half this post is spent telling you they taste like rocks. If you don’t believe that, proceed to make them and automatically expect to like them, then don’t– that’s more a problem with your reading comprehension than Joy’s baking (not to insult you, but she did warn us all).
i think i would like these! definitely wouldn’t mind having them with tea!
These cookies remind me of an archaeologist scouring through layers and layers of dirt searching for remains. Nothing says “AWESOME” more than cookies and adventure tied into one. Bravo, Joy. Well done. I’m making some fossil cookies tonight!
Hah! How about baking a whole almond inside each one so you can “unearth” it as you nibble awaythe “rock” around it?
TJ
Nahhhh Happy to give it a miss. Thanks …
This right here? It’s why you’re awesome. You’re honest. And I thank you for that.
(And since I’m in the “you can never have too much chocolate gooey yummy” camp, I’m going to skip this recipe. But I still love ya!)
I’m intrigued. Cement? Definately trying.
I love some of the comments on this by your readers, by the way. Ha!
I had to google buckwheat flour and found out that soba noodles are made from them, and now I totally understand your description. I like soba noodles! Maybe I’ll like these biscuits too! =)
I’m… confused. Because I really don’t feel like eating rocks, but I really want to try these cookies… guess I’m gonna go to Whole Foods!
Cement? Rock? Weirdly enough, i like crazy-sounding stuff like this… Can’t wait to give it a try!
the title alone had me skeptical. i think i’ll skip this one and stick with your apple crisp recipe that’s been getting me sweet accolades for weeks :) (thanks, btw)
haha! I’ve never cooked with buckwheat flour. i’m intrigued….
I’m definitely intrigued enough to try these Joy! I wonder what they’d be like dipped in dark chocolate?
Oh my God. The title alone almost made me want to kick you in the knee caps. Buckwheat? Pine nuts? Bring on the gooey chocolate! Next thing I know you’ll be telling me you’re vegan…. : )
Hey, vegan baking is like any other: a little practice and creativity produces delicious results. Send any unwanted slices of Joy’s vegan chocolate cake my direction please.
I think I may have to pass on these. Sounds a lot like soda bread from Ireland. I always feel compelled to eat it but am annoyed with myself that I do. I’d rather save the calories for chocolate.
I wasn’t intrigued by these at all, until you mentioned Irish soda bread. I love that stuff! Maybe I should try these cookies. Thanks Pigs!
Since I love buckwheat pancakes and waffles with maple syrup I’m thinking these might be good with a maple latte for dunking.
Maple latte?! That sounds awesome!
i just don’t know about these. Just. Don’t. Know.
I am still laughing as I write this comment… Actually, when I started to laugh so much that I started to cry while thinking how “enjoyable” it may be to serve “wet concrete” smelling, rock tasting, interesting cookies is when I had to include a hello.
I agree with you… the world has room for rock cookies.
JNET
Gee, I dunno…I never met a cookie I didn’t like:) And, they are something different.
I’m game to try em. (?)
How can those possibly taste like stones? :)
you’re cool. I may have said that before. But glad you share the unusual stuff along with the typical sweet ooey-gooey baked things of most baking blogs…I actually think I would like these! Maybe I’m just weird…
love,
cathy b. @ brightbakes
I gotta be honest, as much as I love buckwheat pancakes, not really that inspired to make these cookies. However, I am laughing my tush off over your descriptions, and your reasoning, because there is a recipe or two in my box, that taste.. odd, and yet become… addicting, and soon, you’re telling your friends: trust me, they’ll grow on you… Makes them sound like… mold, or something blech-y, but ultimately, not blech-y- if you give them a chance.
You rock.
PS- added a granny smith to your sweet potato curry soup. AWE-some, but the biscuits moved it to nirvana…
You should try buckwheat blini (you can also mix wheat and buckwheat flour). With caviar or sour cream. Don’t taste like cement :D
I just made these, and I can attest to their unusual awesomeness.
I just wanted to throw out a word of caution about pine nuts. Do yourself a favor and do not buy any pine nuts the come from China or maybe even Russia. About a year ago I grabbed myself a small bag of already shelled pine nuts and ate them as a snack. Two days later I had what’s called “Pine Mouth.” Google it… that’s how I figured out what happened to me. If you are a foodie and you get pine mouth you will want to kill yourself – temporarily. Seriously… it royally messes up your taste buds for a couple weeks, and it’s strange and freaky. The FDA even called me to get a report about it… they’ve been getting reports from tons of people about it.
Btw, maybe you and some of your readers that want to eat cookies that taste like rocks, cement, and sand have pica.
these look so interesting! i’m definitely going to try them out. lovely blog!:)
Hahaha, I love reading your blog, I always laugh out loud… really. I want to find buckwheat flour and make these now… I’ll resist the knee-cap-kicking urge if they are not to my fancy, but not-so-sweet is what I like best. thanks!
I’m all about presentation. I think these cookies will look fabulous on my turquoise dishes! I can’t wait to bake them so I can serve them!!!
I like the idea of converting poetic/urban sensations into food. Wet sand, stone, moss, glass, etc. and I like not too sweet cookies to have with tea, so definitely want to try these!
These cookies look lovely! I’m always on the look out for new ways to cook with buckwheat. It has such an earthy goodness to it. Love all your recipes Joy. It’s like once I come to your site I get lost for a bit and get carried away with my time.
Never tasted wet concrete. Never tasted rocks. Time to try :-)
I made them today (didn’t have pine nuts so I made them with black sesame seeds) and woah… They’re very good! Easy to make, crumbly, a little bit salty, I’m afraid I’ll have to eat another one now… Thank you for this recipe!
Joy, I was hooked at first glance of these deceptive-looking little biscuits. Made them for a tea party over the weekend, and hot damn those are scrumptious. Accolades all around. My only downfall was my ambition, which led me to try to make half the recipe vegan to accommodate a friend. I only had a bit of shortening, so I used tamari paste for the rest of the fat. I also failed to use egg substitute for the yolk, though I don’t know how much of a difference it would have made. The result? Sand. Flavors were pretty good, but they looked and felt like sand. Melting in your mouth. It was pretty unpleasant. So yeah, don’t do that. Not that you would. In any case, I think I’ll make another batch of these over the weekend!
These totally work for me. Ok, it’s beyond just working for me. Next time I make them, however, I’m going to make them like thumbprints and put pepper jelly in them. As it is, I’m just spooning the pepper jelly on top and that too works for me.
Thank you!