When my children were young, one of the treats I made for them was a chocolate no-bake cookie similar to this one. However, it included nuts and coconut, and was made with the only cocoa I knew to buy. Or more likely, the only cocoa my supermarket carried. Yep, good old Hershey’s cocoa powder. And as much as they enjoyed the cookies, I thought the consistency resembled that of chocolate flavored chalk. Kind of gritty, and way too sweet.

But yesterday, for some unknown reason, I remembered those cookies and decided to build some. (I think I was just too lazy to make a cookie that would take more time and energy to prepare.) But I decided to change up a few things to better suit our mature palates.

I used a better grade of cocoa powder to begin with. Then I added more vanilla. (Never can go wrong with extra vanilla.) And some espresso powder to enhance the chocolate flavor. (Neat trick I learned years ago.) And eliminated the coconut and chopped nuts. (Simply not needed.)

Well, the result was a whole lot different than what I fixed for my kids all those years ago. Here was a cookie (really more like candy) that was not at all grainy. Very chocolaty without being overbearing. And the chocolate in perfect balance with the peanut butter.

Now the one drawback to these cookies is that they are kind of messy to eat. You will probably end up with a bit of chocolate sticking to your fingers. Like I said, kind of like candy in that regard. But who cares! Just gives us one more opportunity to wash our hands. And isn’t that our main occupation during this coronavirus pandemic anyway? Like ALL THE BLOODY TIME its wash, wash, wash! Well now at least you have a really tasty reason to stay vigilant. You’re welcome.

As always, stay healthy, stay focused, and fix yourself and your fellow inmates this treat in the near future. After all, chocolate is like happiness that you can eat. And we could all use a bit more happiness during this very stressful time. Enjoy!

2 T. (¼ stick) unsalted butter

¾ c. granulated sugar

¼ c. whole milk (or whatever you have on hand)

2 T. really good cocoa powder (I prefer Valrhona cocoa powder)

1/8 tsp. espresso powder

pinch fine sea salt

1/3 c. chunky peanut butter (not the “natural” style)

1½ tsp. pure vanilla extract  

1½ c. old-fashioned whole rolled oats

Combine the butter, sugar, milk, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and salt together in a medium sized saucepan over medium heat. Whisk until the butter melts, then bring to a simmer. Allow to simmer for 1 minute without whisking. Remove from heat, then immediately stir in the peanut butter and vanilla extract until completely combined. Stir in the oats.

Allow mixture to sit for 7-8 minutes. This allows the mixture to start to set. Using a very small ice cream scoop, drop balls onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Slightly flatten each ball with your fingers.  

To set the cookies before eating or storing, refrigerate for 2 hours. Then if the bottom is still kind of sticky, turn them over and let them sit for a couple more hours, or until the whole cookie is well set. Transfer to a covered container with wax paper between the layers. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Can be frozen. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.

And yes this recipe can be doubled, and probably should be!