Sunday, May 30, 2010

No-bake Cookies

We all try our best to maintain a healthy diet, right? Having found out 2 summers ago that my cholesterol is on the high side, I do my best to stick to egg whites, olive oil, skim milk, etc.... but every now and then (ok, more than just every now and then) I get a serious sweet tooth. This cookie recipe is quick, chocolatey, allows for some cholesterol-conscious recipe tweaking, and involves zero baking. It's a family favorite, discovered at a small general store in my grandparents hometown of Shanksville, PA some ten or fifteen years ago. I've taken the liberty of substituting what healthier ingredients I can (and even my dad had to admit you can't tell the difference,) but regardless they're sure to satisfy your sweet tooth:

1/2 cup margarine, melted
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 cup peanut butter
3 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 cups plain instant oatmeal
wax paper

Mix margarine, sugar, milk, peanut butter and cocoa in saucepan and bring to boil. Allow to boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and immediately stir in vanilla. Mix in the oatmeal one cup at a time. Lay wax paper out on flat surface and scoop tablespoon-full portions of the mix onto wax paper. Allow to cool 15-20 minutes before eating. Can be kept refrigerated for up to one week.

That's it. Now, enjoy!

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