Making up recipes isn't hard to do, remembering them is: The Breakfast Cookie

One fateful day last year, my sister took me to Red Barn Bakery in Irvington, NY

and on her suggestion I had the mushroom fritata and a breakfast cookie for the road. At first I balked at the seven dollar vegan and gluten free mini frisbee-sized situation I was presented with, but due to my proximity to New York City and what I am sure is "reasonable" for the immediate vicinity, I gave up, invested, and discovered I love the breakfast cookie.
A few months, a dehydrator later, and  a new found love of gluten free stuff (Don't be a hater. I am not saying you have to be gluten free, just that I try to be) my sister reported that she was now making her own delicious breakfast cookies so I thought I should too.

The following is a hybrid of two recipes: A gluten free breakfast cookie (that I made up looking at 5 or so recipes initially) and a quinoa cranberry cookie (it's not gluten free but check it out). These cookies are also a product of necessity if you will. I bought rhubarb at a farmers market and had no idea what to do with it.

Cranberry Quinoa Rhubarb Breakfast Cookies (Gluten free and Vegan: no you don't have to love camping and composting to enjoy these. You don't even have to be liberal. They are just plain tasty).

Ingredients

2 bananas (not green, they need to be smashable)
3 cups cooked rhubarb/quinoa mix (see below for directions may subsitute unsweetened apple sauce)
   
       1.5 cups of quinoa (I like the rainbow or the multi colored just for pizzazz!)

 4-6 stalks of rhubarb

2 cups certified gluten-free oats (depending on how substantial you want your cookies you can add more or less here)

1 teaspoon salt (whatever kind you would like as long as it is fine)
1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup  (this is optional and depends on how sweet you like things, with the rhubarb I suggest it, that or ripe bananas)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups dried apricots, raisins, apples, figs1 cup unsweetened dried cranberries (these are tough to find, people really like to sugar up cranberries as an alternative ditch the cranberries and just do 3 cups of dried fruit. This is really good as well.)
½ cup seeds, nuts, or coconut flakes (almonds, chia, and pepitos can be fun here)

Directions

Rhubarb/quinoa mix: Chop 4-6 stalks of rhubarb into reasonable pieces add water and simmer. When you have it is all softened and mushy (for lack of a better word), take out some if you do not want to use it all and set it aside for your other purpose. Then add 1.5 cups of quinoa and cook as instructed 10-15 minutes. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (I have been turning it down to 325 and cooking longer). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Put the bananas in a large mixing bowl and smash with a fork. Stir in the the rhubarb/quinoa mix. Add the oats, salt, honey, and vanilla.

 Stir the dried fruit into the mixture and let sit from 10 – 30 minutes (this is important, be patient. you might even want to experiment with one dried apricot while you wait and add water and see what a difference it makes).

Make the cookies as big or small as you like :) Flatten them and bake for 30 – 35 minutes or until browned and fragrant. Let cool on the pans for 10 minutes.

Store in an air tight container at room temperature.

Voila! Breakfast cookies that are delicious and nutritious and go wonderfully well with apple sauce :)

*Please feel free to subsitute, change, completely overhaul this recipe and send feedback! I made it up and am writing it down just so I can make it again someday soon and it be somewhat similar to the first time. :)