No-Bake Cookies

Perfect for those moments when you are desperately craving something sweet and chocolatey, but don’t have a lot of time (or patience) to make a full-blown batch of cookies. This is something my little sister loves to make all the time, though I have never personally done it, It's one of my favorite cookies of hers. These mounds of sugary, peanut buttery, chocolate goodness are incredibly addicting. They take only minutes to make and if you’re really desperate and don’t want to wait for them to set, you can eat the mixture straight from the bowl – no raw eggs to worry about!

These really are as easy as they sound, and a great recipe to make with kids if you have any little hands eager to help in the kitchen. I’m sure they’ll love eating the “dough” straight from the bowl! The only suggestion I have is when you drop the dough onto the wax paper-lined sheets, they will pretty much set in whatever shape they are already in, with minimal spreading. This recipe only takes 20 minutes total to make!

INGREDIENTS

• ½ cup (1 stick) butter
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• ½ cup milk
• 4 tablespoons cocoa powder
• ½ cup peanut butter
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 cups quick-cooking oats

DIRECTIONS

1. Add the first four ingredients (through the cocoa powder) to a 4-quart saucepan.
2. Bring to a rolling boil and let boil for 1 minute.
3. Remove from heat.
4. Stir in the peanut butter and vanilla until smooth, then stir in the oats.
5. Drop by heaping tablespoons onto wax paper-lined baking sheets.
6. Let cool until set.