MandiCrocker

NO-BAKES

(aka: Buttnuggets)

This blog was just dying to be written! First, Shanny Bananny, my forever friend, has been hound dogging me about the recipe for these delicious cookies.

She's been texting like crazy!

I've been reading texts like crazy!

And then forgetting about them like crazy!

Oops. I just forget about texts.

I's is crazy. :(

Another reason is that summer is almost upon us. That means hot weather. And you know what? Who likes baking in the hot weather? What if you don't have air conditioning? Huh? A lack of the ol' central air? What then?

See, I'm looking out for you. These cookies are called 'No-Bakes' for a reason. Can you guess why? Because they're delicious. Exactly.

Our final reason is that they look like little... well, little piles if you know what I mean. And quite frankly, I've been feeling like little piles (if you know what I mean) recently!

You know that saying? "You are what you eat."

Well here's a new one: "You make how you feel."

Huh.

Doesn't have quite the same ring, now does it?

Anyway, it's INGREDIENTS TIME!!!!

*applause, applause*

OUR CONTESTANTS:

2 3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup of milk*

1 stick of butter

2 squares of unsweetened chocolate

1 tsp vanilla**

1/2 tsp salt

3 cups of oatmeal

1/2 cup smooth peanut butter

*I didn't have any milk so I substituted heavy cream.

(Who has heavy cream but not milk??? Weird).

**Note to self: Buy vanilla!!!

First things first, set aside in a large bowl the oatmeal and peanut butter.

You can use half a cup. Or you can use this much. Or more. Or lots more. Just not five jars. Five jars is too much.

See? Like so.

Next we're going to boil together the rest of the ingredients.

Sugar.




In today's performance the milk will be replaced by its understudy: heavy cream.
Disappointing, I know. There's Tony buzz for the milk.

Butter. :)



The squares of chocolate, the vanilla and salt. Like so.



Give it all a good stir.



And melt on medium heat, constantly stirring.
Until it BOILS!!! HOW EXCITING!!



Let it boil for 1 minute.


Do NOT boil it for longer than a minute! Do NOT try to take pictures for your food blog. Do NOT stop stirring because it will only overcook the sugary mixture later giving you super crumbly cookies. Put the camera down!!


Sheesh.


Finally, mix it all together.

Now listen to me very carefully... this last part of the recipe is a sprint! No cross country, no pole vaulting & hanging out on the floofy mats, this is a sprint, people!!

You have a very short window of time to drop dollops of oat-y-peanut-butter-y-chocolate-y-goodness onto wax paper. They cool so quickly. If you do not move posthaste they will surely dry out & you'll be left with crumbles. Delicious wonderful crumbles... but crumbles just the same!

I think these are my favorite cookie.

*swoon, swoon*

See? They're pretty crumbly & dry. :(

But yet they're like little miracles in your mouth.

Now in my mouth. Num. :)

Because I'm completely weird, this picture reminds me of Indiana Jones & the Temple of Doom. When they're all caravaning through the mountains with the Ark of the Covenant? Could you imagine if these were chocolate oaty peanut buttery mountains? If I had photoshop, I'd draw little tiny people in there.

Am I really this strange?

YES.

Mmmm...buttnuggets. They'll keep me company tonight!

Enjoy!

THIS BLOG DEDICATED TO:

SHANNON ALIEN LEWIS