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This year's Bon Appétit annual cookie exchange was a resounding success, featuring a diverse and delicious assortment of baked goods. Staff members poured their creativity into crafting unique cookies, ranging from spiced molasses varieties to innovative nut-free date balls and festive peppermint bark cookies. The event showcased a blend of traditional recipes and modern twists, making it a truly memorable culinary celebration.

Among the many delightful offerings, Carly Westerfield contributed her take on chewy molasses cookies. Inspired by childhood memories of warm spices like ginger, cinnamon, and clove, she adapted Alison Roman's recipe. Facing a shortage of crystallized ginger, she found that these generously spiced rounds held their own, delivering a comforting and familiar flavor without the sharp kick of candied ginger she typically favored. Her experience highlighted the adaptability of classic recipes to ingredient availability while still delivering a satisfying result.

Joe Sevier, a senior editor, addressed a common challenge in cookie swaps with his date balls. His original recipe relied on pecans for crunch and flavor, but the nut-free requirement of the swap prompted an ingenious substitution: crispy chickpeas. By crushing and incorporating whole chickpea snacks, he maintained a delightful texture that even surpassed nuts in retaining crispness. This innovative approach also made his date balls a fantastic gluten-free option, demonstrating how dietary restrictions can inspire delicious creativity.

Li Goldstein, associate newsletter editor, prioritized simplicity, opting for a no-mixer peppermint bark cookie. She discovered a treasure trove of mixer-free recipes from senior Test Kitchen editor Jesse Szewczyk. Her choice, a fudgy, brownie-like cookie adorned with a shard of white chocolate and crushed candy canes, proved both easy to make and visually appealing. The minimal effort required, primarily whisking and hand-molding, made it a perfect festive addition to the swap table.

Even baking novices found their stride at the event. Nick Traverse, director of editorial operations, embraced the challenge of baking for the first time, guided by Jesse Szewczyk's brown butter chocolate chip cookie recipe. Despite his initial nervousness about browning the butter, the resulting cookies were a magnificent testament to the recipe's reliability. His experience underscored that even with minor imperfections, a well-chosen recipe can lead to delicious outcomes.

Jaia Clingham-David, a research fellow, honored her grandmother's preference for chocolate by making “Obscenely Chocolatey Chocolate Cookies.” These decadent treats, featuring a Dutch-processed cocoa powder base and generous chunks of chopped chocolate, delivered molten pockets of joy. Resting the dough for a full hour enhanced their rich flavor, earning them quick disappearance from the table and, more importantly, the ultimate approval from her discerning grandmother.

Shilpa Uskokovic, senior test kitchen editor, brought an unfussy yet irresistible classic: Italian butter cookies. She has been making these simple, buttery, and vanilla-infused cookies annually, noting their popularity at every gathering. Their delicate flavor and toasty edges make them a quick favorite, often being the first to vanish from any cookie tin. Her advice to bake a double batch and discreetly stash them in a charming tin speaks to their addictive quality.

Nina Moskowitz, associate editor, navigated a demanding week of three cookie swaps by preparing a triple batch of brown butter toffee chocolate chip cookies. While she had to substitute Heath bars for the specified Skor toffee bars, she splurged on Guittard baking wafers, which created generous pools of melted bittersweet chocolate. These cookies, lauded as a definite crowd-pleaser, quickly disappeared from the selection, proving that thoughtful ingredient choices and preparation can make a big impact.

The Bon Appétit team's cookie swap was a vibrant display of culinary passion and innovation, featuring everything from spicy, comforting molasses cookies to inventive nut-free date balls, and rich chocolate masterpieces. Each creation, whether a time-honored family recipe or a clever new adaptation, contributed to a truly delightful and diverse spread, highlighting the joy of sharing homemade treats during the holiday season.

Embrace a New Dawn: Quinoa – The Hearty and Healthy Breakfast Solution

Kickstarting Your Day: Beyond the Usual Morning Staples

Typically, my morning meals consist of convenient options such as fruit-blended drinks, egg dishes with poultry sausage, or dairy-free yogurt accompanied by fruits and crunchy granola. Prioritizing protein in my breakfast helps sustain me through early workouts or brisk walks with my pet, ensuring I remain energized until midday.

Seeking Warmth and Comfort: The Quinoa Revelation

As colder weather arrives, my palate craves something warm and comforting that is still quick to prepare on a weekday. While protein-enriched oats with a hint of sweetener, cinnamon, fresh fruit, and nuts usually suffice, there are times when the texture becomes monotonous. This quest for variety led me to EatingWell's Cinnamon-Quinoa Breakfast Bowl recipe.

Effortless Preparation: A Time-Saving Morning Ritual

Similar to making oatmeal, these quinoa bowls involve simmering the grain in a liquid until it's tender and fully absorbed. The recipe specifically utilizes water and almond beverage. Since I always keep unsweetened almond milk and quinoa in my pantry, I can spontaneously prepare these bowls. On a chilly morning, I can whip up a hearty and nourishing breakfast in just 20 minutes, without any prior planning.

Sweetness and Spice: Elevating the Flavor Profile

Beyond the simmering liquid, the recipe incorporates a touch of brown sugar for sweetness and cinnamon for a comforting aroma. The cooked quinoa is then adorned with banana slices, a drizzle of almond butter, and toasted almond slivers. Personally, I often omit the almond slivers due to a tendency to over-toast them; heartier pecans or walnuts are a safer bet for me. While quinoa offers a warm, porridge-like consistency akin to oatmeal, its distinct, slight chewiness provides a welcome textural change from the usual oat-based fare.

Nutritional Powerhouse: Fueling Your Day with Quinoa

From a nutritional standpoint, quinoa is highly beneficial. It serves as an excellent source of plant-based protein and iron, and it supports digestive health. Each bowl provides 12 grams of protein and 7 grams of fiber, making it incredibly satiating and effective at keeping hunger at bay until lunch. After an intense morning workout, I sometimes add a dollop of Greek-style yogurt for an extra protein boost.

Creative Customization: Endless Possibilities for Your Bowl

After falling in love with this recipe, I also explored the Apple-Cinnamon Quinoa Bowl, which involves cooking quinoa with chopped apples and then topping it with fresh apple for added crunch. This experience revealed the remarkable versatility of quinoa, allowing for diverse toppings. A recent favorite combination includes bananas, raspberries, and chocolate tahini. Blueberries and a hint of lemon zest also make a delightful addition to the original recipe.

Beyond Quinoa: Exploring Other Grains and Savory Options

Another exciting discovery, made by chance, is that these bowls adapt well to other grains. Once, while searching for pre-rinsed quinoa (to avoid the rinsing step in the morning), I inadvertently purchased an ancient grain mix containing buckwheat, millet, chia, amaranth, and teff, alongside quinoa. With liquids already simmering, I decided to give it a try, and the mix worked perfectly without any modifications. For a savory twist, consider using pumpkin pie spice instead of cinnamon and stirring in pumpkin puree. Toppings like mini chocolate chips and pecans, or a sprinkle of granola, are excellent choices. You can even venture into savory territory by omitting sugar and cinnamon and topping the quinoa with tomatoes and chicken sausage, similar to savory oatmeal preparations.

Meal Prep Convenience: Ready-to-Eat Breakfasts

For those with limited morning time, these bowls can be prepared in advance. The recipe yields four servings, perfect for single individuals to cook once and have four breakfasts ready to go. I simply store individual portions of cooked quinoa in the refrigerator and reheat and top them each morning.

A Refreshing Alternative: Breaking Free from Oatmeal Monotony

While I haven't entirely forsaken oatmeal, these quinoa bowls provide a refreshing alternative when I desire a change. I highly recommend them. If you're hesitant to fully transition, you can ease in with a hot cereal mix that combines oats, quinoa, and chia seeds. Either way, you'll enjoy a warm, satisfying breakfast that offers a delightful departure from your usual routine.