No-bake bachelor cookies

Adventures in oatmeal, peanut butter, & chocolate

Once upon a time, my friend Rachel brought these cookies to a party and they were a hit. So I asked her for the recipe, attempted them, and... fail. Well, half-fail. Which is a shame and kind of an ego-killer, since Rachel's family calls these "Bachelor cookies"; they're her Nana Falk's recipe and are supposed to be so easy a bachelor can make them. I guess I'm no bachelor. Still, with Rachel's blessing I'm passing on the recipe.

The key to these cookies is timing. Since they're no-bake, you have to act fast when dropping globs of melty "dough" onto cookie sheets lined with parchment or waxed paper. I think maybe I made my cookies too big. Plus, I didn't act fast enough. My first sheet of cookies held together nicely, but my second sheet was a crumbly mess. But the good kind of mess — the kind that would actually taste amazing on top of a hot fudge sundae.

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CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER BACHELOR COOKIES

WHAT YOU'LL NEED: 
2 cups sugar
3 TBS cocoa
1 stick butter
1/2 cup milk
pinch of salt
3/4 cup crunchy peanut butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
3 cups oatmeal

WHAT YOU'LL DO:
In a large sauce pan or pasta pot, combine sugar, cocoa, butter, milk, and pinch of salt. Mix together until melted, then cook for one minute more. Remove from heat and add peanut butter, vanilla, and oatmeal. Stir well, then drop teaspoons of the mixture onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or waxed paper. Allow to set at room temperature. 

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Despite my first attempt's failings, I'm planning to try this recipe again sometime. I might even sub Nutella for the peanut butter because: YUM. I just have to remember not to dawdle and to keep the cookies teaspoon sized. Now go and make these tasty treats and let me know how they turned out for you! Did you end up with two cookie sheets full of perfect deliciousness or the topping for the best ice cream sundaes this side of ever?