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. I must really live under a rock sometimes (I know, I said this when I made the coconut macaroons, but I swear it’s true!) because although I had heard of no-bake cookies from my time spent surfing food blogs, I had never had them before! Well, now I might be in trouble. 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 mark my third installment of cookies that you all voted for me to make in the poll I held following the cookbook giveaway. Thanks to everyone for helping to broaden my cookie horizons!

As soon as I took my first bite of these I immediately thought that they tasted like the icing for the Texas Sheet Cake that I love so much. After thinking about it, the ingredients are very similar – butter, sugar and cocoa that are boiled together. The peanut butter and oats help to cut the sweetness and add great flavor and texture.

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. After I realized this I used the back of the spoon to smooth them out and flatten them a bit to give them more of a “cookie” shape.

Cookies from the Top 10 I have made:
Almond Macarons filled with Nutella
Chocolate-Dipped Coconut Macaroons
Chocolate Chip Cookies (Thick & Chewy)
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Peanut Butter Cookies
Sugar Cookies
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Peanut Butter Blossoms

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No-Bake Chocolate, Peanut Butter & Oatmeal Cookies

Yield: 2 to 3 dozen, depending on how large you make them

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

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.

(Adapted from Ezra Pound Cake)