ORANGE SPICED QUINOA COOKIE RECIPE: A Cookie Recipe for Vegans, Weight Watchers, the Gluten Free, Vegans, Diet-Haters and Anyone Else That Likes Cookies

By Chef Stacy Maple

Once Upon A Cookie

This recipe comes with a story. In 2013 I was living in Atlanta.  I worked as a private chef for a married couple in the trendy Buckhead area. He ate a strict vegan diet and she followed Weight Watchers like a religion. At Christmas that year, they asked if I could cater a holiday party in their home for a few of their closest friends. "Keep it simple," she told me. "It's a casual party. Just dessert."  Little did I know that the majority of their guests followed various restrictive diets too. "Two are gluten-free, another couple is vegan like my husband, my best friend is also a Weight Watcher and the Klaymons follow the Fuhrman Diet. One more couple eats whatever they want and they hate all diet food," she said while rolling her eyes. Her keep-it-simple dessert request was about to be anything but!  After many attempts at developing a sweet treat that this mixed group of foodies would all enjoy, I created the Orange Spiced Quinoa Cookie. You can only imagine my relief and joy when she called the morning after the party to tell me, "They all loved the cookie! Our gluten free friends, the vegans, vegetarians, Weight Watchers and even the diet haters."  That was good enough for me!  

ORANGE SPICED QUINOA COOKIES

WITH WALNUTS & CRANBERRIES

 2 1/3 cups Cooked Quinoa

1/2 cup Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice

Zest from 1 Large Orange

1/2 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Baking Soda

1/4 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp Nutmeg

1 tsp Cinnamon

1 ¼ cup Brown Rice Flour

3 TB Canola Oil

3 TB Apple Sauce

1 Cup dark Brown Sugar

1/2 large Banana, pureed

3 tsp Vanilla Extract

1/2 cup Chopped Walnut (or nut of choice)
1/2 cup Dried Cranberries (or Cherries)

Raw Sugar or Sanding Sugar

Whole Walnuts

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Stir together cooked Quinoa, Orange Juice and Orange Zest.  In separate bowl , mix Baking Powder, Baking Soda, Salt, Cinnamon, Nutmeg and Flour.  On low, in a mixer, cream Oil, Banana and Sugar until fully combined and then add Vanilla.  Slowly add dry ingredients into the sugar and oil mixture until well mixed.  Fold in the Quinoa, Nuts and Cranberries.  Batter will be wet and slightly sticky.

Drop batter by tablespoon on to a parchment or Silpat lined sheet pan, leaving plenty of space between cookies.   Press one whole Walnut on top of cookie to flatten out the batter, then sprinkle with raw sugar.  Bake for approximately 18-20 minutes or until edges are golden brown. 

Yields approximately 18 cookies. 

Easy Quinoa Granola Recipe by Chef Stacy Maple

Living In Clogs...The Blog

I am a classically trained chef, recipe developer, food stylist and blogger.  As a professional foodie, I wear many hats each day, but my shoes seldom change.  Most days begin and end in my Danish style, kitchen clogs.  No. Mine aren’t bright orange, but even in black, they are just as conspicuous.  Undeniably, these clogs are no 2013 fashion statement, but they do make a statement about what I do and what I have become… slip resistant, dependable, well supported, kitchen approved and Le Cordon Bleu endorsed.  This is me and this is my blog… Living In Clogs.

 

2013 FoodBlog South Conference

Last weekend, my clogs and I made our first trip to Alabama.  I drove the three hour trip from Atlanta to attend the 2013 FoodBlog South conference.  The conference was held in Homewood, just outside of Birmingham. I attended the conference for the chance to network with “professional bloggers”…which, until recently, I believed was an oxymoron….and to gain the know-how and inspiration to launch my own blog.  About 150 bloggers gathered for this two day event: professional chefs, home cooks, foodies, restaurant critics, cook book authors, food stylists and photographers.  Many of them have been blogging for years and others, like me, are new to it.  With sessions like, “Blog to Book”, “Niche Blogging”, “Owning Your Brand” and “Advanced Photography and Food Styling”, the schedule was full and there was much to take away. 

Quinoa Gets Up for Breakfast

The inspiration came at breakfast while at the FoodBlog South Conference.  We were served warm quinoa with cinnamon and sugar in addition to more traditional southern breakfast items: grits, bacon, biscuits, eggs.  That one bite of cinnamon and sugared quinoa was pinned to my creative side and it wasn’t long before Easy Quinoa Granola was developed.

Quinoa: What's All the Fuss About?

Quinoa…Quinoa…Quinoa… it’s the new black!  With all eight essential amino acids, this little seed is the only known complete protein that doesn’t come from animals.  As humans we need protein to build and maintain our muscle mass.  We can’t live without it.  If you are trying to live a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle, quinoa will be your new best friend, if it isn’t already.  Most often used in savory dishes, Quinoa is a blank canvas for the flavors that surround it.  So, why not try it in something sweet.  It can be a great replacement for many grains and seeds in our favorite savory and sweet recipes.  Get creative and give Quinoa a try!

Easy Quinoa Granola Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup Cooked Quinoa

1 cup Oats

¼ cup chopped Nuts

¼  cup Dried Fruit

¼ cup Seeds

Cinnamon (to taste)

Agave or Honey (to taste)

Organic Cooking Spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 


Cooked Quinoa

Cook quinoa by bringing 2/3 cup of water and 1/3 cup of uncooked quinoa to a boil.  Cover and reduce heat to lowest setting for approximately 15 minutes or until all water is absorbed into the quinoa.  Fluff with fork before using. 





Combine Quinoa & Oats
Spray, Sprinkle and Drizzle

Line sheet pan with parchment paper or silpat. Place Quinoa and Oats on parchment lined sheet pan.  Spray liberally with cooking oil, drizzle with Agave, sprinkle liberally with cinnamon and bake in oven for 10 minutes.  Take out and turn granola with spatula.  Repeat process of turning, spraying, sprinkling and drizzling every 10 minutes for a total cooking time of 30 minutes. 





Add Nuts, Fruits & Seeds Last 5 minutes of baking

Remove from oven.  Add Nuts, Fruit and Seeds.  Turn, spray, sprinkle and drizzle one more time.  Return to oven for 5 minutes.  Remove and let cool.  Once it is completely cooled, store it in air tight container.  Keep in refrigerator to extend shelf life.