Everyday buckwheat chocolate chunk cookies

I’ve been making variations of these cookies for years. Loosely based on the Chocolate Chip Cookies in my friends Shauna and Daniel Ahern’s cookbook Gluten-free Girl Every Day, I’ve tinkered with the recipe to make them work with just two easily found flours and reduced the sugar a tad. Tasting very much like the traditional chocolate chunk cookies I used to make as a chef, they’re also nut-free, making them perfect for school lunches. I prefer the texture with the psyllium added and they hold their shape ever-so-slightly better, but you can totally get away with leaving it out, if you don’t have any on hand. Makes approx. 24-28, depending on size

140g (1 cup) buckwheat/ quinoa flour 70g (½ cup) brown rice flour ¾ teaspoon aluminium-free +

gluten-free baking powder ½ teaspoon baking soda (bicarbonate

of soda) good pinch of fine salt

1 teaspoon psyllium husks (optional)

115g salted butter, softened

100g (½ cup) golden caster sugar 50g (¼ cup) packed muscovado sugar

(or use brown sugar)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large free-range egg

125g dark chocolate, roughly chopped

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease two oven trays and/or line with baking paper.

Sieve the flours, baking powder and baking soda into a bowl, then add the salt and psyllium husks, if using, and whisk well to combine.

Cream the butter, sugars and vanilla with electric beaters or with a wooden spoon until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat until well combined (you may need to stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl at this point to get the egg to mix in well). Add the dry ingredients and chopped chocolate, and mix to form a soft dough.

With clean dry hands, shape the dough into generous tablespoon-sized balls. Transfer to oven trays, press down to flatten slightly and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden, rotating trays halfway to ensure even cooking. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Will store in an airtight container for 5-7 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.