Leftover Quinoa? Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies of Course!

I am all about having my cake and eating it too.  In this case, my cake is chocolate chip cookies.  With a goal of trying to eat in healthier ways every day, my sights on a chocolate chip cookie seemed a bit far fetched given some of the tastiest are laden with butter, white flour and sugar.

But I like to think of myself as clever.  Where there's a will there's a way.

My now not so secret ingredient weapons to deliver me to the object of my desire: 

A full can of pumpkin

 

About a quarter cup of applesauce

Leftover cooked quinoa

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

Adapted from All Recipes (click here for original recipe)
Makes approximately 2 dozen

1 28oz canned pumpkin
1/4 cup applesauce (substitute for vegetable oil)
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup whole wheat flour (substituting for 1 of the 2 cups of all-purpose flour)
1 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup walnuts
2 tablespoons cooked quinoa (new to the original recipe)

Directions

1. Combine pumpkin, sugar, applesauce and egg. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt. Dissolve the baking soda with the milk and stir in. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and mix well.
2. Add vanilla, chocolate chips, nuts and quinoa.
3. Drop by spoonful on greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for approximately 10 minutes or until lightly brown and firm.

 

 

I dare you to find the quinoa.