At some point last year, I started to realize that we were spending an astronomical amount of money on snacks. I don’t always have the time to make my kids’ snacks. . .nor do I even have the time to buy in bulk and divide them into baggies. But I made a concerted effort to stop buying quite so many pre-packaged snacks. Since the twins are older. . .I imagine that I’ll be making even more snacks this year.
In any case, no bake cookies rank high on our list of take along goodies. One reason I like them is that they serve as a perfect disguise for healthy whole grains! You can also stick super health foods in there like ground flax seeds or wheat germ. You can do this with almost any no-bake cookie recipe without changing the flavor too much.
This recipe doesn’t call for either of those ingredients but go ahead. . .give it a try. Sneak in some of those nutritionally dense whole grains and see if your kids can even tell the difference!
My one disclaimer about all ‘no-bake’ cookie recipes is that I mistakenly confused ‘no-bake’ with ‘no-cook’. You still have to spend time over the stove. . .just not baking in the oven. Also, make sure to always cool your cookies thoroughly. If you’re like me, you’re probably tempted to try them as soon as they’re off the stove. But the genius in no bake cookies is that they actually continue cooking after you are finished ‘heating’ them. You will most definitely suffer from I-didn’t-wait burnt tongue syndrome!
You will need:
1/2 cup milk
2 cups sugar
4 tablespoons cocoa
1 stick of butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup peanut butter
3 cups quick cook oatmeal (no substitutes)
Combine milk, sugar, cocoa, butter and vanilla in the top of a double
boiler. Boil together for 15 minutes. Then add the peanut butter, mixing
until the batter is creamy. Add the quick cooking oatmeal. Beat until thick enough to drop
by heaping spoonfulls on a cookie sheet. Cool completely and enjoy!
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