Melty No Bake Cookies

 It may seem strange to share a recipe in a season of grief, but I have a specific reason for doing so today. 

Actually, it seems like seasons of grief are all about sharing consolation through food. People show up on doorsteps of the grieving, throwaway pans in hand, offering nourishment, because they know there truly isn't anything they can offer to ease the pain. They don't bring the food to ease the pain. They bring the food to ease the burden of daily life so those in mourning can sit in their pain and work through their grief. It's a beautiful gift to offer, really. 

I remember it when Ryan's mom died, and our church, our small group, our friends all stopped over with offerings of this or that so we didn't have to worry about meal planning in our season of funeral planning. I appreciated it so much. 

Allen had a sweet tooth, and he was usually first in line for a sampling whenever I made a dessert for a family gathering. (And I almost always sign up to make desserts for family gatherings.) He'd wander out of his way to find me and let me know I'd done it again: sugary perfection. He'd tell me how he probably shouldn't have a second, but he would anyway, and we both knew it. 

He loved no-bakes, and he was fond of this particular recipe that I found within the last couple of years. I actually have a no bake recipe on my blog that I posted back in 2014, but this one has just a couple of slight alterations, and I think they make all the difference. I made these for our tenants recently and they went wild over them. (They're good about compliments, but they don't typically gush over recipes.)

Because he loved them so much, I thought I'd share this one with you today. 

Melty No No Bake Cookies

* 2 Cups Sugar
* 4 Tablespoons Cocoa
* 1/2 Cup Butter
* 1/2 Cup Milk
* 1 Cup Crunchy Peanut Butter
* 1 Tablespoon Pure Vanilla
* 3 1/4 Cups Old Fashioned Oats

In a large sauce pan, combine sugar, butter, cocoa, and milk. Stir frequently while heating to boiling and then boil for one minute. Remove from heat and add peanut butter, vanilla, and oats and stir until well mixed. Roll out waxed paper on a flat surface and drop batter from a small cookie scoop. Let sit until hardened. Serve and eat quickly! (That last part will just happen on its own.)

A Few Tips

* We only buy almond milk now, and while I realize there is basically NOTHING about this recipe that is healthy, I have been using almond milk in it so I don't have to purchase separate milk. I can't taste anything different about it at all. You can use whatever kind of milk you usually have. 

* We also only buy crunchy peanut butter, so I started using that in my no bakes, and that seems to be the part people love most. The little extra crunch of tiny nuts in the cookies is a game changer! Of course, if all you have is creamy, that's fine too.

* As you probably know if you've been around here very long, I only ever use pure vanilla extract. No imitation here. I think it makes everything better. 

* We only buy old fashioned oats, and while I realize that isn't the norm for no bakes, it's what we use, and I like them better. I like the bigger pieces. 

* I also like using a cookie scoop to drop them, so all the cookies are even. Or almost even, anyway.

Hope you enjoy!! No bakes are a great comfort cookie and they're ready in no time!