The Great Cookie Debate

FOR those of you who know me well, you know I inherited my dad's sweet tooth. There's no sweet I won't eat! In junior high I began making unbaked oatmeal cookies (commonly known as no bakes) and have been making them regularly ever since. I've made them for showers, potlucks, birthdays--for mere enticement and for days when the chocolate cravings drove me mad. There's a certain art to such cookies, as you may know. And if yours crumble when it's time to plop them on the wax paper, or ooze off of a plate in resemblance to a cow pattie (yes, I've seen this but I won't name names!), then I urge you to monitor your oatmeal and peanut butter rations. I used to add more oatmeal than the recipe prescribed, thinking I'd net more cookies, but that doesn't work. And too much peanut butter leads to crumbles-I usually just drop in a large spoonful.

Now that you know my tricks, I want to clear the air about the name of these cookies. For years I've been teased about calling them "unbaked oatmeal cookies." But I just can't retrain my brain to refer to them as "no bakes." For those of you who've harrassed me on the matter, try googling "unbaked oatmeal cookies," and you'll find a slew of similar, chocolately recipes. Google "no bakes" and you'll come across a more general array of recipes--no bake items like rum balls and haystacks. There is only one UNBAKED OATMEAL COOKIE, and you should be glad to have been on the receiving end of it over the years! *wink*

Here's the recipe. I'm available for autographed versions of the same on Saturday.

2 cups sugar, 1/2 cup margarine (I use real, unsalted butter), 1/2 cup milk, 4 T. cocoa, 1/2 cup peanut butter, 3 cups quick cook oatmeal, 1 tsp. vanilla.

Combine sugar, margarine, milk and cocoa in saucepan, and bring to a boil for one minute and remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter, oats, and vanilla. Drop by teaspoon (or spoonful) onto waxed paper. Let set and enjoy!