Ahem.

Could it get any easier?

We discussed earlier this week that I’m not down with anything complicated these days.  This is because I got a new computer at work that I can’t stop playing with, I’m addicted to wine and my phone, and we have some family in town that I want to hang out with instead of cooking complicated things.

So, there.

Here’s another beautifully simple recipe that I’ve been making for years – have you ever had these?  They’re called lots of things, but I call them nobakes.  They’re cookies.  You don’t bake them.  I made them incessantly for friends (ahem, cute boys) and ate them all the time in high school and was really popular and then got confused when my cheerleading uniform was a little tighter than earlier that year.

Cause and effect isn’t really my thing.

Anyway.  I’m all grown up now and cooking as a way to win men over is beneath me now.

Ha.

I snagged this recipe from Tasty Kitchen, via the Domesticated Duchess blog.  Check it out if you haven’t yet!  She’s suh-weet.  I made a few tweaks, but the recipe is perfect as is!

Also.  I submit recipes to Tasty Kitchen.  You can find me by searching funnylovelindsay.  Rank my recipes if you’ve cooked any of them!

Thanks.

So, I added some fun stuff to these cookies.  Instant coffee grounds – delicious!  They don’t add a coffee flavor, but just 1 tablespoon deepens the cocoa flavor in a super duper good way.  You’re welcome for that. It’s like the Chocolate Cloud Cake – you can’t taste the coffee, but the coffee does good things.

Also, the recipe calls for milk. I didn’t have any.  I had cream, though!  Duh.  I substituted, and it was fine – the cookies were a teensy bit crumbly, but no one seemed to mind.  Use any kind of dairy you can get your hands on and try not to freak out too much about it.

It’s easy, guys.  You melt the melty crap, then stir in peanut butter and oats.

Then you drop spoonfuls of this magic onto wax paper or parchment paper or into your dogs mouth.

Let the cookies dry for….until they’re dry.  Try not to freak out.

Then you eat them.  The end.

Here’s the real recipe!

• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup butter (one stick)
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 2/3 cup peanut butter
• 3 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon dry instant coffee (optional)

Combine sugar, butter, milk and cocoa in medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture comes to a rolling boil.

Remove from heat and cool for 1 minute.

Add peanut butter, oats and vanilla. Stir to mix well.

Quickly drop mixture by heaping teaspoons onto wax paper.

Cool completely and store in a cool dry place.