Cherry-Almond Quinoa Breakfast Cookies

 

Cookies for breakfast???   Wheeeee!!!!

Well, sort of.  Read on. (But first, another cookie shot.)

 

 

It all started with Costco....

I have a love-hate relationship with Costco.  Like everyone, I love being able to buy certain items in bulk, like say, 52 pounds of dog food,  42 rolls of Charmin, or necessities like pillow-sized bags of Stacy's Pita Chips (if you've tried Stacy's Pita Chips, then you will concur that they are indeed a necessity.)

A trip to Costco is an event in my house, since all of our locations are inconveniently located across town in different directions.  It's as if the VP of Costco Business Development used my house as a starting point on a map, stuck in a thumbtack, and drew three straight lines to the opposite edges of the Las Vegas Valley, thinking "Aha--perfect! These will be our store sites." (Cue evil laugh.) 

 

Before each trip to Costco, it's imperative that I take thorough inventory of my pantry and household supplies and make a list of what I need.  IM-PER-A-TIVE. I need a list, and I need a plan.  Said list serves as my personal suit of armor, ensuring that I will purchase only, well mostly only, the items that I need and not get swept up in the cleverly marketed displays and constant supply of new items that make Costco Costco.

I hate it when I forget my list.

10 pounds of Jolly Ranchers!!  I loooooooove Jolly Ranchers!  Well, all but the grape ones, but that's just one flavor.  Sold! 

 Eric apparently doesn't like grape Jolly Ranchers either.  We now have 2 pounds of them, if anyone wants 'em.

Another inevitable result of leaving my list at home is that I toss some item into my cart because I am pretty certain that it was on my list or that it would have been on my list if I had made one......only to go home and discover that we haven't even made a dent in the supply that we already have.  Happens every. single. time.

Enter world's largest bag of quinoa.

 

 

Now, I don't recall ever purchasing a big bag 'o quinoa from Costco in the past, but apparently I had.  I don't know, perhaps I blacked out due to Costco eureka! euphoria, which is why I had forgotten that there was already one of these huge, unopened bags sitting in my pantry.  And now I have two.  Lucky me.

Don't get me wrong.  I loooooooove my quinoa like I loooooooooove my non-grape Jolly Ranchers.  In the past few years, quinoa has become the Emma Stone of the ancient grains.  The "it" girl, if you will.  You can see it in all of the hottest food publications and included in recipes from the trendiest chefs.  My prediction is that within the next 6 months, it will also be on an InStyle cover, land a Revlon contract and start dating Ryan Gosling.  That's how HOT quinoa is right now.

So, I should have no lack of resources in which I can find recipe inspiration for my two lifetime supplies of quinoa, right?  Right.  Today's recipe was inspired by an idea that I have seen a few times on-line and, most recently, by one that I read in Bon Appetit magazine:  Quinoa Breakfast Cookies.

I'm sorry, did you say "breakfast cookies?"  Why yes, yes I did.

 

 

Sorry, that picture came out a little dark.

Now, before you get too excited, these are not your Keebler Elves' cookies.  So if your mind is saying "Chips Ahoy" when you take a bite, then your taste buds might be a tad bit disappointed.  Make no mistake, (I think) that they are still delicious, but they are also pretty healthy and full of whole grains, dried fruit, and nuts -- not chocolate chips, white sugar, and monoglutopseudohydrotransbrominal.  The texture is fairly cakey, and they are definitely hearty.  These cookies are also not overly sweet.......which is why I couldn't leave well enough alone, and I drizzled them with a little glaze.  Just a little glaze, mind you.  A little glaze never hurt anyone. 

1 quinoa recipe down......463 to go.

 

 

Here are some extra tips for making these deceptively diet-friendly cookies:

• I decided to use dried cherries in these cookies because I think that they have a more concentrated flavor than cranberries, and cherry pairs nicely with almond.  Plus, dried cherries were on sale at the grocery store :)  Feel free to substitute dried cranberries, raisins, chopped apricots, or a combination of dried fruit.
• I made the simple glaze for the cookies by whisking together confectioner's sugar and freshly squeezed lemon juice.  You could do the same with orange juice, or you could make an almond glaze by whisking confectioner's sugar, water, and a bit of almond extract.
• To make your own variation on these cookies, try adding some shredded coconut, orange or lemon zest, banana puree instead of applesauce, or pure maple syrup in place of the honey.

 

 

Cherry-Almond Quinoa Breakfast Cookies

(Inspired by Bon Appetit magazine)

Printable Recipe

Makes about 28 cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

1/2 cup golden brown sugar, packed

3 tablespoons honey

2 large eggs

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3/4 teaspoon pure almond extract

1 cup cooked and cooled quinoa

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup rolled oats (not quick oats)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup dried tart cherries

1 cup whole almonds, coarsely chopped

 

Preheat the oven to 375F degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter with the sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.  Beat in the honey and then the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Mix in the applesauce and both extracts.  On low speed, mix in the quinoa until well incorporated.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt.  Gradually add the flour mixture to the batter, mixing on low speed until just combined.  Remove the mixing bowl from the stand and stir in the dried cherries and almonds.

Using a small ice cream scoop or a spoon, drop the dough in generous 2-tablespoon portions onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing 2-inches apart.  Flatten the mounds of dough with the bottom of a glass or with your moistened palm (otherwise the dough might stick to your hand.)

Bake the cookies until they are golden around the edges and on the bottoms, 12-15 minutes.  Allow the cookies to cool on the pans for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.  If desired, drizzle the cookies with a simple glaze (either confectioner's sugar mixed with lemon juice or confectioner's sugar mixed with water and almond extract.)

Approximately 140 calories and 6 grams of fat per cookie.

Comments

[Julie Hession]

Thank you, Sellina (beautiful name!)  I will check out your sites :)

[Sellina]

The dish looks delicious. Want to try it one of these days for my family in our gatherings. You might also want to visit www.gourmandia.fr and www.everythinglemon.com for more exciting recipes that you'll surely love. Enjoy!!

[Julie Hession]

Thank you, Anna!  And thank you for the link to the other quinoa recipes -- I will check it out.  Im so glad that the cookies turned out well :)

[Anna]

I'm not much of a baker, but your site inspired me. I bought a slightly used Kitchenaid Classic mixer, and this was the first recipe I made with it. I made them yesterday and they were great! I still want to try the lemon glaze on them. If you are still looking for things to do with your quinoa, I found this other site with tons of recipes: http://www.101cookbooks.com/ingredient/quinoa

[Julie Hession]

Thank you, Candy!  I agree--people are surprised by the taste (in a good way!)

[Candy]

I made these a while back and they were a big surprise for everyone that tried them. Love the addition of the glaze!

[Julie Hession]

Thank you, Kathy!   Oatmeal pumpkin with cranberries sounds divine!  It will be a good variation to try next time :)

[Kathy]

I love cookies for breakfast. I make an oatmeal-pumpkin one with nuts and cranberries, so I'm very anxious to try these. Quinoa the miracle grain!

[Julie Hession]

Thank you, Shelby!  And thank you for mentioning me in your blog -- Im honored :)

[Shelby]

Darn Costco for pinpointing long distances from your home! I hate when places do that to me!

These are right up my alley - some of my favorite flavors are cherry and almond. I'm definitely going to attempt this recipe also. I like how healthy it is and will be great for Grumpy's and my lunch bag (which usually includes breakfast and lunch!)

[Julie Hession]

Thank you so much, Heidi!  I encourage you to give it a try.  It adds a nice texture (and the extra protein is a bonus!)

[Heidi @ Food Doodles]

These look awesome! Especially with the glaze :D I've actually never put whole cooked quinoa into baked goods, but I'm curious to try it. I love the cherry almond combo of your cookies :)

[Julie Hession]

Thanks so much, Carrie!!  Youve officially made my day :)

[carriehogan@mac.com]

I just adore your blog! Great reading and writing! Cant wait to try these!