The following “Chew This!” column originally appeared in “The Courier-Times” and / or “The Shelbyville News”. Check their websites for further information and dates.

Foolproof No Bake Cookies
Blaise Doubman

I have been getting questions for years about no bake cookies. So many people remember them from either their childhood, from their school cafeteria, or both. It seems there are two kinds of people when it comes to no bake cookies. There are those who like adding peanut butter to their no bake cookies and those who are strictly purist recipe people and do not. Now, I do know there are other variations, such as an all-peanut butter no bake cookie, with no chocolate at all, as well as a variation that contains little pieces of caramel throughout and sprinkled with sea salt. My friend, Connie, made up the last variation one year. Which reminds me, I need to find her on social media again because after I deleted my old account and took over my fur baby Penny’s account as my own, well, things got confusing. Ha! But, back to the cookies. The no bake cookie variation I will be sharing with you today is the traditional no bake cookie, that includes peanut butter, but contains a few foolproof sets to promise success.

First, when making these, be sure you use a large enough pot. You can not make these in a small pot, or even a medium sized pot. I always say that the ingredients in this recipe need to breathe. That is especially important in the boiling and cooking stage. This recipe uses a little more cocoa powder than you might have seen in other recipes, makes them all the more chocolatey and delicious, as well as more milk, more pure vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. The additional quantity of milk allows for a more, dare I say, moist cookie in the end and the vanilla and salt just really amp up the overall flavor profile. Now, I use quick cooking oats here because I feel they give the finished cookie a softer texture. A lot of people use regular oats, and I cannot figure out why! From my research and trust me I have done a lot on these cookies; I find that using quick oats guarantees a softer cookie in the end. Also, the boiling process on these is particularly important. These boil for only 90 seconds! Any longer and they will turn dry and hard. Once the ingredients have gotten hot and there are bubbles forming in the middle of the mixture, that is when you start counting the 90 seconds. I do have a confession though, sometimes I will under-boil these and pour them into a greased 9×13-inch baking pan, allow them to cool and then cut them into bars. Follow this recipe to the letter and I promise you perfect no bake cookies. As always, if you try this recipe, I would love to hear from you! Find me and connect with me through the contact page you can find on my website.

Chocolate and Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies

Make these any size you want, from ¼ cup size, or larger, to cookies formed delicately with a tablespoon.

2 cups white granulated sugar
5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup whole milk
1 cup smooth peanut butter
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
3 cups oatmeal (quick cooking oats)

In a larger sized saucepan, combine the white granulated sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, unsalted butter and whole milk. Bring this mixture to a boil over medium heat while stirring.

Let boil for 90 seconds exactly while stirring continuously.

Remove from the heat and add in the peanut butter, vanilla extract, salt and oatmeal.

Stir to combine well.

Next, drop two tablespoon sized amounts of the mixture onto parchment paper and let cool.

Ask and Answer: I have been getting questions about the sticks of butter I use. The sticks of butter I use, both salted and unsalted measure 8 tablespoons total. Each stick is 4 oz. Also a question I get often is about if I use a digital scale in my kitchen and I have to say, I do not.