WORDS, RECIPE, AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY AMY FRITCH
WHAT A WORLD WE LIVE IN!
Not too long ago, if you wanted to bake cookies, you could only choose between two flours: all-purpose (AP, or white) flour, or whole-wheat flour. Now, there are dozens. There is a flour to fit every taste and dietary choice, from almond to einkorn and spelt (the grain that graces the breads featured on our cover). As you might imagine, however, not all flours are created equally. That’s why we’ve created one smart cookie, three different ways.
What makes them smart? Well, it has become increasingly apparent that locally grown, nutrient-dense flours are better for our bodies and the environment. The local food movement has shown us that less-processed food tastes better, is more nutritious, and is kinder to the environment than its mass-produced counterparts. But where to start? It can be overwhelming.
Our region is lucky to have access to several locally grown flours, including River Valley Community Grains. This New Jersey–based business sells frequently at the Easton Farmers Market and focuses on producing nourishing grains and flours by connecting all the dots: from soil health, to local farmers, to in-house milling, to eager bakers making delicious baked goods. The variety of grains and flours they offer is fantastic and encourages experimentation—just in time for special holiday baking. And what better way to experiment than by baking something that almost everyone likes: chocolate chip cookies!
With three flours in hand—all-purpose, rye, and buckwheat, all available from River Valley Community Grains—I set out to make chocolate chip cookies with each of them. The results were delicious yet varied. The master recipe I developed makes what I call “bakery style” cookies: big, with crispy edges and soft centers. It’s a fairly quick recipe that doesn’t require hours in front of the oven.
THE ALL-PURPOSE ROUTE
I started with the baseline flour that most of us are used to baking with: all-purpose. Does your supermarket flour specify what type of wheat it is, where it was grown, and where it was stone-milled? River Valley’s does! Their all-purpose flour is the Redeemer variety of a hard red winter wheat, grown and milled in New Jersey.
I spoke to Larry Mahmarian, one of the company founders, who told me that their AP flour is one of their best sellers. “There is nothing added to the flour (it’s not bleached or bro-mated) so it’s not ‘enriched’ with chemicals or other additives. Anything made with [River Valley] products retains all the nutritional value that whole grains bring,” he says.
In terms of the actual baking, I didn’t find too much of a performance difference between their flour and, say, a King Arthur Flour’s all-purpose, which tends to be the gold standard among serious home bakers. The protein content in River Valley’s is 10 percent, which is slightly below something like a King Arthur flour. RV’s all-purpose flour looks a bit more variegated, as though it were a blend, but the irony here is that lots of commercial flours are typically a blend of a couple of kinds of flours that are not usually able to be specified, says Mahamarian.
Flour nuances aside, the basic recipe produced a very good cookie that was tender and buttery, with just a little crackle to the edges. You’ll note, though, that it’s a great start!
Tips for better cookies: I’ve found that if you rest the dough overnight in the fridge and bake the next day, the cookie gets even better, but it’s not a necessary step.
THE RYE: WONDERFULLY NUTTY
Next up was the rye flour, which was truly a revelation! You may have only encountered rye flour in rye bread or pumpernickel bread, but rye flour in cookies is my new favorite move. The rye cookies spread a bit more than the AP ones. And the flavor was similar to AP, yet nutty and deep but still familiar. If you try just one version of this recipe, please make it the rye version.
BUCKWHEAT: NATURALLY GLUTEN FREE
Finally, I used buckwheat flour, which you may be familiar with in its savory applications such as soba noodles or buckwheat pancakes. Buckwheat flour is naturally gluten-free. That’s great, except it needs to be combined with another type of flour that contains gluten to give it structure. Or you need to use xanthan gum if you want to make it completely gluten-free. But we didn’t go that route.
I used all-purpose as my second flour. But you may also use a gluten free 1:1 flour mix (such as Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Baking blend, in the blue bag) instead.
I found the flavor of the buckwheat flour to be divisive. My testers either loved it or hated it! Buckwheat can have a sort of grassy, earthy flavor that isn’t everyone’s jam. One trick I found? Toasting the flour before baking with it will reduce the sharpness of those flavors—it’s worth a try.
All in all, I loved experimenting with these flours. Next time you’re looking for a cookie with a local twist, I hope you’ll try this one!
Any-Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1½ cups all-purpose rye, or buckwheat* flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature
- ½ cup brown sugar light or dark
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup chocolate chips(or other flavor chips)
- Flaky salt for sprinkling (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone baking mats.In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt.In a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until combined. Stir in the flour mixture just until incorporated, then stir in the chocolate chips.Divide the dough in 12 pieces, approximately ¼ cup each, rolling each piece into a ball. Place on the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart and flatten into disks with your palm (the cookies will spread quite a bit). Sprinkle with flaky salt, if using.Bake one tray at a time until cookies are brown and crispy on the edges, 12–15 minutes.Cool the cookies on the pan for a few minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely. Store at room temperature in a covered container up to a week, or freeze for 3 months.
