Healthy cookies

A colleague of mine brought cookies to work one day and not only they were delicious, they were full of all kinds of healthy grains and seeds. I immediately asked her for the recipe which was from this book by two Canadian authors:

“Healthy cookies” recipe (makes 5 dozen):
2/3 cup (160 ml) water
1/3 cup (80 ml) quinoa
1 cup (250 ml) butter, softened
1 1/3 cups (330 ml) packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
11/2 tsp (7.5 ml) pure vanilla extract
2 cups (500 ml) whole wheat flour
11/2 tsp (7.5 ml) baking powder
1 tsp (5 ml) baking soda

1 tsp (5 ml) ground cinnamon
¼ tsp (1 ml) salt
11/4 cups (310 ml) quick-cooking rolled oats
1 cup (250 ml) flaked unsweetened coconut
1/3 cup (80 ml) flax (ground or whole seeds)
1/3 cup (80 ml) sesame seeds

Bring the water and quinoa to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Turn the heat off and leave the covered saucepan on the burner for an additional 6 minutes. Remove the lid and fluff with a fork. Set aside to cool.
Preheat oven to 350° F (180 °C). Grease a large baking sheet, or line it with parchment paper.
Cream the butter with the brown sugar in a large bowl. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix thoroughly.
Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. Add the oats, cooked quinoa, coconut, sunflower seeds, flax and sesame seeds to the flour mixture and stir until well blended. Combine with the butter mixture and stir until well mixed. Roll the dough into 11/2-inch (4 cm) balls. Place 2 inches (5 cm) apart on the prepared baking sheet. Flatten each cookie slightly with the palm of your hand. Bake on the centre oven rack for 8 to 10 minutes, until the bottoms are light brown. Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet. Store the cookies in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Enjoy!