Food smells and tastes can bring back so many memories. When I first made these cookies and I took my first bite, I wasn’t sure what I thought. It was mildly sweet, and good, but it reminded me of something. The second bite picked me off my feet and placed me in the past.
I had a playmate named Jenny whom I played with often growing up. We both had very active imaginations that we didn’t grow out of very young (have I ever grown out of it?). Her house was on a little property that was adjacent to a large field. I remember many cold and beautiful days in the winter running over the empty field to play on a swing at the neighbors. Jenny’s neighbors were an active elderly couple who graciously allowed us to come and play on their property and eat from their fruit trees.
One day, the wife, Dorcas, invited us in and gave us some cookies. She told us that they were really healthy ones and sent us out to play. We bundled ourselves up again, and were soon happily munching on our cookies. I was by no means a “health nut” at that age. I liked my white sugar laced cookies just as much as any other kid. But there was something that was so satisfying about a hearty, not too sweet, cookie. Even then I was able to recognize that I felt so much more nourished and satisfied than if I had had a typical cookie. It was the perfect snack for two girls running outside on a windy day.
These cookies remind me a lot of Dorcas’s cookies. They are hearty, not to sweet, and satisfying. Far from glamorous, they are perfect to bring along on a hike, or (like I did today) send in your husband’s lunch for a nourishing snack. I would call this a snack more than a dessert.
I dedicate my recipe for quinoa cookies to Dorcas. Thank you for all the wonderful times….and the cookies.
The recipe:
Put two cups of quinoa flakes in a bowl, cover with water and soak for eight hours or overnight. Quinoa will not stay in flakes as it soaks, but will look mushy when done. Put in a fine sieve and rinse. Stir with spoon, pushing as much as the water out as you can. Set sieve with flakes over a bowl to continue to drain. ( I try to soak my grains as much as possible so that they are more nourishing and digestible. Read more about it here.) Set aside. You can skip the soaking step if you like.
Cream with hand mixture, about 30 seconds, 3/4 cups of butter, softened, in a large bowl. Add 1 cup of muscovado sugar, rapadura, or brown sugar, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves. Mix until well combined.
Beat in two eggs, 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Add 1 3/4 cups of flour of any grain flour combination (I used 3/4 cup or arrowroot powder, 1 cup of millet flour) and mix well. Finally add in your soaked and drained quinoa flakes (you may find it helpful to give it a few more stirs to make sure you have gotten out as much of the liquid as possible), 1 cup of raisins ( I used golden)and 1/2 cup of walnuts. Put in fridge for several hours to firm.
Preheat oven to 375 and butter a cookie pan. Drop cookie dough out of a tablespoon onto your buttered pan about two inches apart. Cook 12 to 15 minutes, until edges start to turn golden. Remove from pan to cooling rack right away, and enjoy! 
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Yummy! Thanks for sharing that lovely story about Dorcas. I’m printing this out to try. I just to go buy the right flour!
oh, I meant to ask, can you buy quinoa flour so you can skip the whole soaking the flakes part?
Are quinoa flakes different that just the normal quinoa grain?
The story you shared made me smile. :o) These cookies look yummy. I make quinoa cookies using the whole cooked grain, but have never tried the flakes. How else have you used the flakes?
Jennifer,
You can actually just use the quinoa flakes without soaking them. I haven’t tried it yet, but I am sure they would turn out just fine. It would just be like using oatmeal “flakes” in oatmeal cookies.
And yes, Amy, it is actually different than the usual grain. I get mine through Azure Standard.
Mrs. Brigham, I have also thought about using cooking quinoa in cookies as well! I think that it would give it a little different texture. I have made muffins with cooked millet that were good, but with a different texture than if it was made out of flour. How did your cookies turn out?
I haven’t gotten very creative with the flakes yet, because we like the grain whole so much. But I have a few ideas……
I know that a lot of people make hot cereal out of it. My husband likes to eat the grain whole though.
Here’s the link to buy some, if anyone is interested in a source!
Azurestandard.com
I promise I never correct the typos of others but yours made me laugh and laugh. Put the flakes in a bowel instead of a bowl!
These cookies looks so great. I am in the process of becoming a “health nut” and these seem perfect!
Becky,
LOL, thank you for pointing that out. That’s why I should never make “revisions” to a post on the run! I am glad I gave you a laugh (even if it was at my expense *wink*). I am a terrible self editor. I fixed it. 🙂
The texture reminded me a bit of oatmeal cookies, though a bit more substantial. It was nice as I can no longer have oatmeal cookies and miss them so. The next time I make them, I should share the recipe and pics on my blog. :o)
I am enjoying your site. I’ve yet to try the recipes since I haven’t grocery shopped since discovering your site. we are always on a journey of eating healthy and make little changes along the way…I find it’s easier to stick with them that way. One change I’m not quite willing to make is the bread/pasta thing. I love my bread and pasta…I have found “Inn keepers bread” to be healthier then the average bread. My hubby would love to go breadless because of the fact that it doesn’t digest well and turns to goo in your tummy…any tips or sites for maybe making homemade bread that is healthy and yet not dry? I don’t know if this makes sense…I’m willing to compromise and eat less, but I still love my bread!
Just replying to you. You asked about a bread recipe. I just made the most delicious home-made bread yesterday using freshly ground wholewheat flour (milled myself) and soaked the flour overnight. Made the bread next day. Turned out fantastic. Keeps nice and fresh. If I can do it anybody can. I got the recipe from healthbanquet.com from Eryn. Her recipe is fantastic. Give it a try. Worth the time and effort. Better than going breadless I can tell you. You won’t be sorry.
Kirsten,
I totally relate to the whole pasta /bread thing. I love mine as well. We actually use rice pasta. Tinkyada is the best brand we have found. We have served it to guests and they haven’t even known the difference with a yummy sauce on it. Bread is a little harder. I try to eat yeastless bread. I have made my own sourdough bread and that has been really good. The advantages are that I can soak it for longer periods of time to make it more digestible. I have also gotten rye, yeastless bread at the store. I have enjoyed that as well.Sometimes when I have been off bread I have made more whole grain muffins or biscuits to fill the void. These were soaked and yeastless free, but still made from flour. There is one muffin that I am working with right now that is made with cooked whole grain. I have liked that.
I also try to make more whole grained dishes and have found that has help me cut down on my bread intake. I am hoping to share some of those recipes soon, so stick around!
thought I’d hop on over here from Lindsay’s place – she touted your wonderful cookies. i’ll definitely have to give them a try…and btw…love what you’re doing here and the layout…love the top logo piece. great job! lylah
I’m looking for a recipe using quinoe to make bread, maybe brown rice could be worked in also, but I want it to be gluten free, do you know of any recipes that I could try?
my comment is I would love to get some cookie, cake and bread. recipes that are gluten free, maybe you could email me some. Thanks. kcmd@ rogers.com
I don’t have any quinoa flakes, but I do have whole quinoa. I wonder how it would taste if I ground the quinoa in my grain grinder, soaked it, and make cookies? Has anyone tried it? If I do – I’ll be sure to post here and let you know how it comes out.
🙂
April
I made a mistake, instead of quinoa flakes I used the whole raw quinoa making cookies!
I rinsed them very well and mixed them with the dough. After baked in the oven on
175 celsius for 25 minutes they came out sort of crunchy but they tasted very nice.
Could this be bad for ones health?
best regards
marijke
Mexico
Could I use honey instead of sugar? If so, how much?
Thanks! 🙂