Sultana ,Walnut and Quinoa Cookies

The best way to describe these cookies is that they taste like a cross between anzac cookies and muesli. One of the ingredients is quinoa. This gluten free grain was a staple food of the Incas and has the highest protein content of all the grains.

These scrummy cookies were inspired by a recipe from  "Ripe recipes, a Fresh Batch" the new recipe book from the popular Grey Lynn Deli in Auckland. This cookbook is inspirational and I have been cooking up a storm out of it. They love tucking healthy ingredients like quinoa and goji berries into their recipes.

I wanted to make some nourishing gluten free cookies for my daughter who has been diagnosed recently as having a high intolerance to gluten. I substituted Bakel's gluten free baking mix for the wholemeal flour and  replaced the apricots and dates with chopped walnuts .Some grated orange rind added a fruity flavour. However when she arrived she explained that she couldn't eat the cookies because although the Harraway's rolled oats which I used are indeed wheat free, celiacs, and a significant percentage of gluten intolerant and gluten free people can react adversely to them. Here is link which explains it in detail:

http://www.harraways.co.nz/healthy-living/hf-gluten.html

Another interesting link referred to how easily oats can become contaminated

http://www.thekitchn.com/the-oat-conundrum-are-oats-glu-137074

To be on the safe side I'm going to avoid rolled oats when baking baking for them, or if  do use them use ones which are labelled gluten free and ask beforehand if my gluten free or intolerant relation or friend can tolerate them or not. They should know.

These cookies do need to be watched carefully towards the end as at that stage they can easily burn. And once they are out of the oven leave them to cool on the oven tray for a few minutes before removing them to a wire rack as they are delicate and can break easily .

I made them quite small , a heaped teaspoon rather than a heaped tablespoon, so they were just little treats,


Ingredients:

1 cup of rolled oats
1 cup of Bakel's gluten free baking mix
1/2 cup of brown sugar
2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
1/4 cup of uncooked quinoa
1/2 cup of desicated coconut
1 cup of sultanas
3/4 cup of chopped walnuts
Finely grated rind of an orange
1 teaspoon of baking soda
2 tablespoons of hot water
180 grams of melted butter
3 tablespoons of golden syrup
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C
Grease and line 2 baking trays with baking paper
In a large bowl combine the rolled oats, baking mix, sugar, cinnamom, sultanas, orange rind and coconut.
In a medium-sized bowl , dissolve the baking soda with the hot water. Whisk in the melted butter and golden syrup and vanilla.
Pour the golden syrup mixture into the dry ingredients and mix well to combine.
Place heaped teaspoons of the biscuit mixture onto the prepared baking trays. Allow plenty of room for the biscuits to spread. Flatten lightly with the back of a fork.

Place in the oven for about 10-12 minutes , or until they are golden.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool a little before transferring the biscuits onto a wire rack.