Quinoa and Chocolate Cookies

Here is the recipe for delicious quinoa and chocolate cookies with an Italian twist, ideal for a healthy snack or a sweet break.

Ingredients

• 1 cup of cooked and cooled quinoa
• 1 cup of flour (wheat or, for a gluten-free version, rice or quinoa flour)
• 1/2 cup of brown sugar or another sweetener of your choice
• 1 large egg (or egg substitute for a vegan version)
• 1/2 cup of butter at room temperature (or coconut oil for a vegan version)
• 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup of dark chocolate chips
• Optional: 1/2 cup of chopped dried fruit (nuts, almonds, etc.)

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
2. In a bowl, mix the cooked and cooled quinoa with the flour, baking powder, and salt.
3. In a larger bowl, cream the butter with the sugar until creamy. Add in the egg and vanilla extract and continue to beat until everything is well combined.
4. Fold the dry ingredients into the bowl with the butter mixture, mixing until combined.
5. Add the dark chocolate chips (and dried fruit if using) and gently stir with a wooden spoon or spatula.
6. Use a spoon to scoop out the dough and form small mounds on the prepared baking tray, leaving some space between each.
7. Bake for about 12-15 minutes or until the cookies are golden around the edges.
8. Let the cookies cool on the tray for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Curiosity

Quinoa is not a grain, but a seed and is part of the same family as spinach and chard. Native to the Andean region, it is highly valued for its nutritional value including a good content of complete proteins, meaning they contain all essential amino acids, a rarity in the plant kingdom.

These cookies are perfect for dipping in a glass of milk or alongside a cup of coffee. For an Italian-style end to a meal, you could pair these cookies with a glass of vin santo or passito, whose sweet and full-bodied flavor complements the crispness of the cookies and the intensity of the chocolate.