This year I can confidently say that thousands of bloggers, including me, fell in love, and not with a boy. We all developed a passionate affair with quinoa. Mexican Avocado and Corn Salad with Red Quinoa, Quinoa Chowder, Roasted Vegetable Quinoa Bowl—you name it I’ve made it. Not to mention the countless lunches I’ve eaten at Protein Bar, a health food restaurant whose menu features quinoa in nearly all their Bar-itos, bowls, and salads. Quinoa was the first grain I’ve ever loved, so I will always have a soft spot in my heart for it. But I have decided it is time to move on and explore other grains. So when Bon Appetit highlighted amaranth in their article 25 Things to Eat, Drink, and Cook in 2012, I was determined to cook with amaranth. This small nutty grain is packed with protein and fiber-music to a quinoa-lovers-ears.

Today I was craving something sweet, so instead of cooking the amaranth and creating a savory dish, I decided to try a recipe for amaranth cookies. The small nature of the grain allowed it to play the role of a seed in these cookies-the amaranth stays uncooked, and the cookies reminded me of a sesame seed dessert bar. The cookies are sweet, crunchy, and slightly nutty. While they will never replace my favorite chocolate chips cookies, but they are packed with fiber and protein, so I don’t feel guilty for eating half the batch.

Alex Milling is a recent graduate of Northwestern University and is hoping that the groundhog won’t see its shadow on the 2nd.

**Recipe**

Amaranth Cookies
Serves a crowd
Recipe adapted from Colors, Tastes, Smells

You can purchase amaranth at Wholefoods or other health food stores.

Ingredients
13 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup tightly packed dark brown sugar
1/4 shredded chocolate
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour
2 cups amaranth

Whisk butter and sugar until smooth and then whisk in egg. Mix in the chocolate. Then mix in the vanilla and flour. Finally, add amaranth and mix until well blended. Cover bowl and place in fridge for 30 minutes.

Pre-heat oven to 355°F. Remove dough from oven and create a sphere in your hand, about the size of a golf bowl. Flatten with hands and place on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper. Fill cookie sheet and bake about 20 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool fully before serving.

Tags: Nutrition and Health