In the Key of K

I’m sure there are many iterations of this recipe that are exactly the same or nearly the same as this one. This is copied and modified from my mother’s hand-written recipe, probably from the late 70s or early 80s. I grew up eating these and so have my kids. This version is veganized.

No Bake Oatmeal Cookies
InTheKeyOfK

2 cups of granulated sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup of any plant milk
1 stick (or 1/2 cup) of plant based butter
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups of oats
a splash of vanilla
OPTIONAL: 1 cup of chopped nuts (this was part of my mother’s recipe but we never add it–I think one time I added pecans and no one liked it as well).

These cookies can be stressful because if you make it too hot it sets up faster than you can portion out the cookies (and they get crumbly). If it doesn’t get hot enough, the cookies will be soup (but still tasty). Preparation is everything. It is also worth noting that this recipe doubles very well.

Put the sugar, cocoa, and milk in a heavy metal pan. Assemble and portion out the butter, peanut butter, and oats individually (don’t skip this! When it’s time to add them in you may have to move fast).

Turn the pan with the sugar, cocoa, and milk on high and heat until boiling. Stir very often so the sugar doesn’t burn. When you turn on the heat these cookies require constant attention. Once you have a bubbling boil all the way across the pan set a one minute timer (don’t skip this). After one full minute, turn off the heat, add the butter, and stir. When the butter is about halfway gone, add the peanut butter, salt, and vanilla and keep stirring until you don’t see butter or peanut butter. This should all happen VERY fast. Be quick.

Lastly, add the oats and mix thoroughly. Drop by spoon onto kitchen paper (don’t forget to taste!). At this point, the cookies should look glossy. As they cool they will harden into a fudge-like consistency. It takes maybe half an hour or an hour.

If the cookies are chalky and crumbly you left it on the heat for too long. If they never get hard you didn’t make things hot enough for long enough. It may take you a few tries to get the recipe right but it is totally worth it.