These cookies are my mom's specialty. She used to make them all the time, and they were pretty much the only cookies that I remember her making from scratch. Maybe that was because there was no baking involved! In fact, the recipe is pretty easy, and the hardest part is sitting waiting for them to cool. You can smell the chocolate and peanut butter taunting you, but then when you try to sneak one it is a hot gooey mess slapping your hand for not following directions.
The key to success here is when the chocolate boils. If you boil it for too short they will never set. If you boil it for too long they will over cook. I find that 3-3.5 minutes is a pretty good amount of time. And the funny thing about these is that even people who don't like chocolate will still eat them (*cough*cough*). It is something about the chocolate/pb combo and maybe the fact that these cookies are moist and not cakey at all. Either way, they never last long. Good thing it is so easy to make more!
No-Bake Cookies (From Food Network):
2 cups sugar 4 tablespoons cocoa 1 stick butter 1/2 cup milk 1 cup peanut butter 1 tablespoon vanilla 3 cups oatmeal Wax/parchment paper (I used foil and it worked fine)
In a heavy saucepan bring to a boil the sugar, cocoa, butter and milk. Let boil for 3-3.5 minutes then add peanut butter, vanilla and oatmeal. Make sure that you add them pretty quickly while it is still hot so that the peanut butter melts and the oatmeal softens. On a sheet of waxed paper, drop mixture by the teaspoonfuls. Let the cookies rest until they are cooled and hardened.
