1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Crush the fennel seeds into a powder in a mortar or pestle, or in a clean coffee grinder.
2. Fill a medium pot about 1/4 full of water and bring to a boil over medium heat. Place fennel, 7 ounces (200 g) chocolate, butter, and almond butter in a large heatproof bowl over boiling water. Stir until almost all of the chocolate has melted, then remove from heat. The remaining heat will continue to melt the chocolate.
3. Place the eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on high speed until the eggs are pale and very thick, about 5 minutes. Pour in the melted chocolate and beat on medium speed until thick, about 1 minute.
4. In a small bowl, mix buckwheat flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix this into the batter with a spatula. Scoop 1½ tablespoons of batter onto each baking sheet, leaving 2 inches of space between them. Gently press a small piece of the remaining 1 ounce (25 g) chocolate into the top of each cookie.
5. Bake the cookies for 8 to 9 minutes, until the edges are crispy and the centers are soft. Be careful not to overbake. It may look slightly undercooked, but it will harden as it cools. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, or until the cookies can be picked up without falling apart. Store in an airtight container for 3 days.
©2021 Aran Goyoaga. Excerpted from Cannelle et Vanille Bakes Simple: A New Way to Baking Gluten-Free, courtesy of Sasquatch Books.
