Good morning friends……….is it still morning? This is my third attempt at this post. I made these cookies this weekend when I was feeling great – I even felt great as I drove to work yesterday morning but about an hour in to the day I started sneezing and getting stuffed up which is not uncommon. There are some terrible allergens in that ancient and often-broken duct work at our office and I know this because I have struggle with allergens my whole life, now Im one of those people that uses the natasha’s law as an allergen checker with everything I buy. I kept coughing and sneezing all day, still feeling okay and thinking it was the dirt in the ducts. Usually about 15 minutes away from the office my headache clears up and I can breathe normally again – however, that was not the case yesterday. As the evening wore on, I became more and more ill and a fever crept up. I now have a doctor appointment this afternoon. Yay. In fact, they just sent me an email confirming it. I don’t feel like getting out and going in, especially since I was just in there 30 days ago. It’s too cold. Geez, I’m whining aren’t I? On the plus side, I tried out for a local television game show and I made the final cut! I film my show(s) on March 14th. After they show on our TV, they will be on Youtube so I will put the link out sometime this spring so you can watch me either look smart or make a fool of myself!
Let’s make some cookies.
Do you love those no bake fudgy cookies sold right by the Lofthouse cookies at most grocery stores? I like them a lot but they are not as good as my Nana’s recipe. When I had the cookbook down last week I found out why. It’s a small secret but it does a wonderful job in jazzing up plain No-Bake cookies.
Super Secret Ingredient No Bake Cookies
Ingredients:
2 Cups Sugar
¼ Cup unsweetened Cocoa Powder
½ Cup Milk
½ Cup Margarine
½ teaspoon Cinnamon (this was her super secret ingredient)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 pinch salt
½ Cup creamy Peanut Butter
3 Cups Quick Cooking Oats
Directions:
Cover the bottom and up the sides of a 9 x 13 Pyrex or metal pan with parchment paper making sure it is enough to pull it out when mostly set up.
Put the first five ingredients in a saucepan and heat to boiling and let it boil for one full minute while stirring constantly.
Take off heat and then stir in the last four ingredients.
This is where things also take a turn – instead of spooning out one at a time, pour the contents of the pan into the 9 x 13 pan and smooth it out on top with a spatula.
Set the timer for 1 hour unless your house is cold and then set for 40 minutes. You want to be able to slice or cut without it running everywhere but you don’t want it to be too hard.
After 1 hour, pull the parchment paper out and using a 2 inch round cookie cutter, start cutting the cookies.
You can generally put the crumbs back together and make more cookies.
Makes 3 dozen.
They are thick and tasty and just like YOUR Nana made them!
Hope you’re feeling better soon. I like the idea of spreading the dough in a pan, chilling and then cutting with a cookie cutter. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen it done this way before.
Good luck on the game show.
Lillian
they look yum and are obviously healthy because of the oats 🙂 And congrats on the game show–fun!!
These look and sound yummy!!! I think I could even make these! Hope you get to feeling better.
Thanks – according to the dr. it won’t be for a while.
Sorry you aren’t feeling well, Kelli. But the cookies look great!
Thank you so much! I’ve eaten so many cookies today – feed a cold you know! 🙂
Been making this for years. Try carnation milk, it’s better. Also, Skippy peanut butter. I spoon on wax paper. Much better, I’m from Ga and my 90 yr old sister in law showed me how. I’m only 61! Try it, no cinnamon. Hope you like it! Oh, I’m winning the giveaway! lol
Thank you Rosemary – Yes, I must try it with carnation milk – I don’t know about Skippy though……..I’m a Peter Pan girl! 🙂
YUMMM! I haven’t made no bakes in forever, and adding the cinnamon sounds like the perfect idea. Especially since your Nana made them that way! Sure hope you’re on the upswing and beginning to feel better. GOTTA get well so you can be on that game show. HOW FUN IS THAT???? Can’t wait to see the video. I <3 being able to see folks I 'know' online…in 'person'.
I am so lazy – I might just whack these into bars and call it good. Just sayin. No bakes are a favorite around here.
You know Deanne – I was thinking the same thing as I was cutting them out with the cookie cutter – squares are just as good as round!!
Ihope these cookies act as a brilliant medicine for you 😀
Cheers
CCU
Thanks CCU – I am feeling better today!
I’m sure my Nana never made anything like this so I was obviously deprived. 🙂 Feel better soon!
Your Nana probably filled you full of those wonderful crumb cakes you make!
This is just the recipe I’ve been needing! I am going to Uganda for 10 days to work at a school and I won’t have an oven. But I will have a stove. I’ll be making your Nana’s delicious cookies for the children! Yay!
They will love them! You can even make bars like Deanne suggested in the comment above yours a few if you don’t have a cookie cutter!
I’m sniffling and sneezing over here too. So far I have pulled myself into work. Hope you’re feeling better. I love the idea of cinnamon and of cutting these cookies out into rounds. (Try coconut oil next time for a super secret ingredient.)
I will do that! I’m feeling a bit better but still not great yet hope you can stave it off!
Lately I’ve been loving a bit of cinnamon in anything chocolaty. Really enhances the flavor.
Thanks Brianne – it makes all the difference in these!
Ooo cinnamon is definitely a great secret ingredient to have when baking with chocolate! Can’t wait to see you on tv 🙂
Thanks Carla – I’m looking forward to winning some furniture! 🙂
I made these according to the recipe but mine didn’t set up. They are really gooey; they taste great though. Any suggestions why they didn’t set up correctly. All of the ingredients I used were fresh. Thanks.
Oh No Heather! I’m so sorry! Is it humid there? That could be the reason. Did you let it boil for the full minute? I have found that if I cut the time short or go too long, it won’t set up correctly sort of like making jelly I think. I hope you will give it another go because they are very tasty!
Some variations that I do – use crunchy peanut butter or chopped pecans or coconut. Have made these since I was in high school which was like fifty (yes 50) years ago and they are still a favorite today.
Hi Celia! I will have to try some of your suggestions very soon. I bet that one with coconut is very tasty! 🙂
what a great idea to spread in pan & cut out with cutters, grandkids will love this & i love the touch of cinnamon, thanks
You are very welcome Theresa – and than YOU for dropping by! Please come by again. I hope you try them and love them too!
I am craving some chocolatey, crunchy cookies and I definitely don’t feel like baking and all that jazz- so I’m making these! 🙂 <3
You will love them!
I’ve made these so often over the years I’ve got the recipe memorized! One of my family’s very favorite cookies in Grandma’s arsenal. I’ve not tried adding cinnamon, interesting thought. I have substituted almond extract for vanilla and it’s delicious…gives the cookies a kind of cherry/chocolate taste. Also I use a small scoop to drop the cookies onto parchment paper or no-stick foil. YUM!
I’m making a bunch of these for a special group of people tonight – I belive I may change some up and add in some almond extract! Thanks for the tip! Also, thank you for dropping by and please come back again!
I don’t have any parchment paper, so I sprayed the 9×13 with cooking spray. The pan is in the fridge right now. I plan to make bar cookies. I tasted what came off the spreading spoon and it was really good! This is the test run for something I’m going to take to church on Palm Sunday, so I’m hoping they turn out right. If not, I’ll eat the results and get something at the store.
It sounds wonderful – I hope you will share your thoughts! Thanks for dropping by – Kelli!