BROWN BUTTER CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE BARS

Gluten-free, refined-sugar free

Makes 16 squares · 8 × 8-inch tin
Oven: 180°C / 160°C fan · Bake: 30–35 minutes

Ingredients

  • 230g salted butter

  • 2 tsp vanilla extract or paste

  • 250g coconut sugar

  • 2 eggs

  • 200g buckwheat flour

  • 70g tapioca flour

  • ½ tsp baking soda

  • 200g 100% chocolate, chopped

  • Flaky sea salt, for topping

Method

  1. Brown the butter. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, swirling frequently. Once the milk solids turn golden brown and smell nutty, remove from the heat.

  2. Mix with the sugar. Pour the butter into a large mixing bowl, scraping in the browned bits. Stir in the coconut sugar, then leave to cool for about 10 minutes, until lukewarm.

  3. Add the eggs and vanilla. Whisk them into the butter mixture until smooth and well combined.

  4. Add the dry ingredients. Whisk the buckwheat flour, tapioca flour and baking soda together separately. Stir into the wet mixture, then mix vigorously for another minute.

  5. Fold in the chocolate. Then leave the dough to rest for 30 minutes, allowing the flours to absorb the moisture.

  6. Prepare the tin and oven. Heat the oven to 180°C / 160°C fan. Butter and line an 8 × 8-inch tin with baking parchment, leaving an overhang to help lift the bars out.

  7. Fill and bake. Press the dough evenly into the tin and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Bake on the middle shelf for 30–35 minutes, until the top is set and the center remains slightly soft. A knife inserted away from the chocolate should come out with moist crumbs rather than wet batter.

  8. Cool and slice. Leave to cool in the tin until firm enough to lift and slice. For neater squares, chill after the initial cooling. Cut into 16 bars; serve at room temperature for a softer chocolate center.