Rye Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies

Not long ago I wrote an article for Prepared Foods Magazine. The feature. The Future of Desserts, was about upcoming culinary trends. As I did my research I kept coming across rye flour, specifically in cookies. At first I was surprised. After all, rye bread is delicious, but it hardly tastes like something that makes me think of sweets. But it is incredibly nutritious. In fact, rye flour contains almost three times the amount of soluble fiber compared to wheat flour. It’s also rich in lignans, phytonutrients loaded with omega-3 fatty acids. Lignans are also linked to cancer prevention. So, I figured, why not try rye flour in a cookie? Maybe, my body will thank me.

Much to my delight, the results were fantastic. The flour imparts a nutty flavor, similar to browned butter. Everyone happily gobbled them up. Most supermarkets carry rye flour, but you can also order it online. It’s surprisingly inexpensive. For the chocolate, I suggest block chocolate that you cut into pieces. But you can use chocolate chips instead if you wish.

Because cookie dough freezes so well, I suggest rolling the dough into logs, or scooping it into balls and storing half in the freezer. It’ll take about 20 minutes to thaw, making this the perfect treat to keep on hand.

Rye Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes 36

3 ounces dark brown sugar

3 ounces white sugar

4 1/2 ounces unsalted butter, room temp

1 egg, room temp

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 ounces bread flour or all-purpose flour

3 ounces rye flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

8 ounces dark chocolate, finely chopped

In a small bowl blend the flours, salt and baking soda. Set aside.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugars for two minutes. Alternatively, you can use a hand-held mixer. Add the egg and vanilla and continue to mix for one minute. Add the flour mixture and mix just until combined. Add the chocolate, again mixing just until combined. Be careful not to overmix the dough. Overmixing will result in cakey cookies. You want these cookies to be crispy around the edges and chewy in the middle.

Scoop the dough using a small ice cream scoop. Alternatively, spoon the dough onto a sheet of parchment and roll it into a log, slicing off 1/4″ thick pieces and rolling them into balls by hand.

Allow the dough to chill for at least 30 minutes before baking.

To bake, reheat the oven to 350F. Place the balls of dough onto a parchment lined and greased baking sheet. press the balls flat with the palm of your hand. They will spread slightly, so leave a bit of space between them. Bake for 5 minutes. Rotate the pan. Then bake for an additional 3 minutes, or until the cookies are golden brown. Allow to cool slightly before serving.