Prep Time : 15 Minutes | Cook Time : 20 Minutes | Total Time : 2 hours | Difficulty : Easy
Hello my lovelies! Rounding out the week of interesting grains with my new favourite flour. Barley. Soft and sweet. Milky almost. A perfect addition to shortbread. We are using milk chocolate for these cookies so it balances but doesn’t overwhelm. Normally I wouldn’t chill shortbread dough. Sometimes you need cookies ASAP. Today we want our barley flour to full absorb the buttery goodness before baking. We are baking until golden. Not until kinda maybe looking like it might nearly be golden. We want to toast the butter and flour. Pull out all the delicious nutty flavours. This is a small batch of cookies that comes together very easily. Feel free to make more. You’ll want to. Barley is not only delicious but has lots of B vitamins and other minerals and reduces cholesterol! These cookies are all about balance.
Because these cookies only have 5 ingredients use the best quality you can. There is nowhere to hide from dusty old flour or fridge-flavoured butter. I get my flours from Wholegrain Organics and I use Westgold butter almost exclusively for baking.
Cream the butter and sugar until combined but not fluffy.
Add the egg yolk and beat until combined.
Add the flour and mix on low speed until almost a dough. Add the shaved chocolate and mix just until combined. We shaved the chocolate so that it’s easier to cut the log of cookie dough later.
Turn the dough out and bring it together into a log about 3 inches in diameter.
Wrap in plastic wrap or baking paper and chill in the fridge for at least an hour.
Heat the oven to 180C (350F). Unwrap the log and cut into half inch thick slices. Use a sharp serrated knife for the least possible frustration.
Transfer the slices to a baking sheet lined with baking paper.
Bake for 17 to 20 minutes until golden brown and very fragrant.
Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
The new bff for your cup of tea is waiting for you…
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Barley + Milk Chocolate Cookies
Prep Time : 15 mins | Cook Time : 20 mins | Total Time : 2 hours | Difficulty : Easy
Makes : 15 to 20 cookies
Buttery shortbread cookies full of soft sweet barley flour and shavings of milk chocolate.
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup (50 grams) sugar
- 7 tablespoons (100 grams) good quality salted butter, softened
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 + 1/4 cups (150 grams) barley flour
- scant 2 ounces (50 grams) best milk chocolate
– If using metric cups, reduce volume measures by 1 tablespoon for every cup of dry or liquid ingredients –
Equipment:
- Standing or hand-held electric mixer
- Baking sheet lined with baking paper
Directions:
Cream the butter and sugar until combined but not fluffy. Add the egg yolk and beat until combined.
Add the flour and mix on low speed until almost a dough. Add the shaved chocolate and mix just until combined.
Turn the dough out and bring it together into a log about 3 inches in diameter.
Wrap in plastic wrap or baking paper and chill in the fridge for at least an hour.
Heat the oven to 180C (350F). Unwrap the log and cut into half inch thick slices.
Transfer the slices to a baking sheet lined with baking paper.
Bake for 17 to 20 minutes until golden brown and very fragrant. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
The new bff for your cup of tea is waiting for you..
Cook’s Notes:
- Use the freshest, best quality flour you can to ensure the best flavour. In NZ I highly recommend ordering from www.wholegrainorganics.co.nz who grind your flour when you order it so it has the most possible flavour. Otherwise use a brand that you trust and buy from a store that you know has good turnover.
- When you’re making a small batch of cookies for yourself try using a really good chocolate – you will taste the difference and feel treated. If you want to use a dark chocolate for these cookies I recommend Dick Taylor 75% Brazil, available here.
– These cookies will keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 to 4 days –
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Wow barley in cookies. You always inspire me with your new inspiring baking ideas Kearin. Keep up the fabulous work (:
Happy to! Barley is my new favourite thing – such a great flavour 🙂
These look good! I’ve never baked with barley flour. In fact, I didn’t even know it was a thing. 😄
I posted a comment, but it disappeared. Weird. 😄 All I was going to say was that these look really good! And that I didn’t even know that barley flour was a thing, let alone cooked with it. I can imagine it’s quite flavourful.
It’s the best thing ever!
I made them (minus the egg because … who knows). They are absolutely delicious and I can’t imagine how you think They will last 3 or 4 days. They are nearly all gone now.
Yay! Glad you like them – some people hoard their cookies I’ve heard – I personally don’t agree with such perverse ideas haha – the egg yolk is there to make the dough easier to handle esp when chilled – it can crumble when you slice if it only has butter 😀
Hi just wanted to know if I could use ghee or coconut oil in place of butter.
Thank you
Hi Shimla – I haven’t tested it but it should be fine – you might get a little more spreading while the cookies are baking though 😀
You know how hard it is to find barley these days!? I love it as a cereal or in soup but I really hope this recipe brings it back in to popularity. It’s sooo good!
So glad you like them!