No Bake Cookies

Today, in honor of the weather being too hot for casual use of ovens, I will share my recipe for poor man’s crack- aka No Bake Cookies. The glory of this recipe is manifold- the simplicity and common nature of the ingredients; the easy method; and the perfect consistency of the peanut-butter chocolate combination.

Everyone falls in love with these cookies. When I went to college and introduced my roommates to "No Bakes", they became so infatuated that they often couldn’t wait for the cookies to harden to partake. With spoons poised over the still warm pan, they would scoop the remaining batter into their impatient mouths.

One of my roommates even mailed No Bakes to me when I was in a training center preparing to go to Hong Kong to be a missionary. (She lived down the street and was able to get them to me the same day while they were still fresh.) I hope you will have your own cherished memories of these cookies too someday!

The Ultimate No-Bake Cookies

2 c. white sugar
1/2 c. (1 stick) butter
½ c. cocoa powder
½ c. milk

Combine above ingredients in a saucepan and melt over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Bring to a boil. Boil for exactly 2 minutes. Do not stir while boiling. Remove from heat after 2 minutes and stir in the following:

½ c. chunky peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla
3 c. quick oats

Spoon the mixture onto 2 cookie sheets lined with wax paper or aluminum foil. Cool in refrigerator until set, about 30-60 minutes.