Chocolate No Bake Cookies

One of the first things I learned to cook in Grandma's kitchen is a super easy, chocolate no bake cookie with cocoa, oatmeal, and peanut butter as key ingredients.

With a little help from grandma or mom, kids can easily make this cookie recipe.


Chocolate No Bake Cookies

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 3 cups quick cooking oatmeal
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
  

Directions

• Be prepared before you start cooking. Measure out all ingredients and place a sheet of waxed paper on the counter to drop the cookies on.
• In a large pan, I use my 6 quart stock pot, add butter, sugar, milk, and cocoa. Stir and make sure the sugar is dissolved as you continue to stir. Bring to a rolling boil over a medium temperature. Let it boil for one minute, but no longer than one minute.
• Remove from heat.
• Stir in the peanut butter, oatmeal, and vanilla
• Drop by spoonful onto the waxed paper.
• Let cool completely for a firmer cookie.
  

My Notes

• Regular oatmeal can be substituted for the quick cooking oatmeal.
• My original recipe called for 3 1/2 cups of oatmeal, but we prefer it with 3 cups.
• Do not boil for more than 1 minute.
• Weather - rain, humidity, dry heat, etc... will change the outcome of the cookies.
• Dark cocoa makes a rich chocolaty cookie.

Heart Healthy... well, to a certain extent, but compared to other cookies, these are better for us than oh... let's say the Nestle Toll House Cookies. These no bake cookies have zero trans fats and a good dose of heart healthy oatmeal, peanuts, and cocoa.

Serve your no bake chocolate cookies with a tall glass of milk. Yum!

Extra Creamy Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Here's a recipe for chocolate buttercream frosting, I've been making for nearly 30 years. This is an extra creamy frosting and it's very easy to make. You can make it rich chocolate, or light chocolate by adjusting the amount of cocoa powder. 3/4 cup is for a rich chocolate flavor.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter- softened (not melted)
• 2 and 3/4 cups powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup half and half or heavy whipping cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3/4 cup unsweetened dutch cocoa powder (use less for a lighter chocolate
  flavor)
• 1 and 1/2 cup cool whip whipped topping - thawed

Directions

1. Beat the butter and sugar together, until it is creamy. This may take a
   minute or two. First it will get all crumbly and look like you've messed up,
   just keep beating it and it will all come together to form a creamy
   mixture.
2. Add in the vanilla, mix until it's creamy
3. Slowly add in the half and half, one or two tablespoons at a time.
4. Add the cocoa powder to the bowl and continue beating on low until this is
   very creamy. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula, to make sure it's all
   mixed together.
5. Fold in the cool whip, mix with a spoon until it's all creamed
   together.

This makes enough frosting for one cake mix.

I know, this is an unusual recipe to share in a first post. So let me explain my thinking here. LOL Easier said than done, I assure you. But here goes. I baked a cake yesterday, and when I was making the frosting, I tasted it... Oh you know I had to taste it. It's frosting. It's chocolate! Mmmmmm! Anyway. That's the moment I came up with the idea to create a blog to share my favorite recipes.