No-bake cookies

Sorry about the very scarce posting lately. It will probably go on this way for much of the summer - I'm going to be away from home a lot, so unless Markus whips up stuff for himself in the kitchen while I'm gone, the blog won't be updated very regularly.

We're having a heat wave in Sweden at the moment, and spending time in the kitchen hasn't been too appealing, apart from opening the fridge to get fresh strawberries. Or one of these cookies!

I found them at Munchkin Munchies, a fellow Daring Baker. They're perfect for summer since they are super quick, require no baking, and are made from stuff you probably already have in the kitchen (well, okay, maybe not too many Swedes have peanut butter at home). It's not a sophisticated "grown-up" cookie, but one you sneak out in the kitchen to munch down together with a glass of cold milk. Peanut butter, cocoa, the caramel-taste of butter and sugar, and crunchy oats - yum!

Sue of Munchkin Munchies tells us it's an old family recipe. Sue has framed the recipe that her mom wrote down for her, and has it framed, hanging in the kitchen. I think that's very sweet!



Cocoa Oatmeal Cookies
From Munchkin Munchies

In a mixing bowl put:
3 cups oats
½ cup peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla (I left this out since we didn't have any)
Pinch of salt

In a saucepan put:
½ cup butter
2 cups granulated sugar
3 heaping tablespoons cocoa (Sue says she and her mom uses Nestlé Quik. I used quite dark organic cacao powder which gives a more intense and less sweet chocolate flavour)
½ cup of milk

Bring the mixture in the saucepan to a full rolling bowl, and boil for one minute and ten seconds. Too little boiling makes it too gooey, too much makes it too firm. Immediately pour the hot mixture into the dry ingredients and mix well. Drop by spoonfuls onto wax paper (Sue's instructions) or into small paper cups (that's how I did it). Refrigerate until firm.

I halved the recipe and got 12 cookies.