No-Bake Cookies (Chocolate + Peanut Butter + Easy = Oh Yeah)

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I'm still relatively new to this blog thing. So I'm still learning the ins, the outs, the wonderful surprises, the pitfalls.

One interesting and unexpected result of all this? The expectations, man! Nowadays, friends and family are counting on some seriously good things out of my kitchen. Which, I admit, is actually kind of cool… as long as I can deliver, that is. Pressure!

Case in point, number one: I arrive for Mother's Day Brunch with some Overnight Caramel Pecan French Toast in hand and ready to bake, and my adorable 8 year old nephew says, "YES! I'm so glad you're here and that I finally get to try your WORLD FAMOUS FRENCH TOAST!" I was already nervous that this thing wasn't going to turn out, having thrown it together at 12:30 a.m. after a night out drinking wine. And then the pressure of possibly letting down my hopeful nephew? Eek! (It turned out well, luckily. Not only did he enthusiastically approve, he also requested the recipe.)

Case in point, number two? My guy phones his mom and asks, "Do you have any special requests for Mother's Day?" Why yes, she does – she wants a creation from The Hazel Bloom! Except, crap… The Hazel Bloom's blogstress has exactly 20 minutes over the course of the next two days to whip up any sort of homemade treat.

Enter… No Bake Cookies.

No Bake Cookies are nothing special, but then again they sort of are. They're nothing special because we've all seen them before, and they're ugly, and they require embarrassingly little effort. But then these easy-to-make little nuggets are delicious, are they not? Creamy, chocolatey, peanut buttery, rich. Easy to make, yummy to eat. Probably not as mom-pleasing as the red velvet cupcakes I would have loved to whip up instead, but at least they're something.

Here, if you want it, is the recipe!

No Bake Cookies

From Food Network

Makes about 2 dozen

Ingredients:

• 2 cups sugar
• 4 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup peanut butter (the more processed stuff like Jif works better than the all-natural stuff)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 3 cups rolled oats

Directions:

1. Over medium heat, stirring frequently, bring the sugar, butter, cocoa, and milk to a boil.

   

2. Boil the mixture for one minute.

   

3. Remove from heat and add the peanut butter, vanilla, and oats.

   

   

4. Mix together, then plop onto sheets of waxed paper, using a couple of spoons.

   

5. Let cool – they should harden within about an hour.
6. Enjoy!