I suppose this makes me an emotional eater, but chocolate has always helped during stressful times. Even the candy commercials market it as an indulgence after a long day. So I take comfort in knowing that I am not alone.
One of my favorite cookies has always been "No Bakes" (also known as Novaks, Chewy Charlies, and at my house Sh*t Cookies due to their resemblance to a cow patty). Regardless of what you call them, they're popular nearly everywhere. At least in my experience. I can safely say that it was the first cookie I learned to make, because they are so easy!
I was visiting my Grand Aunt's house one day more than a decade ago, where there was always something great to eat, when I tried a No Bake that changed my life. Well maybe nothing so dramatic, but it definitely changed the way I made them. My cousin had made them the night before and had used too much cocoa powder we were told. Thinking that there's no such thing as too much chocolate, I tried them anyway. I was right, they were definitely chocolate-ier, but it wasn't a bad thing.
Now I make mine with more chocolate than the standard recipe, and I've never had a complaint (plenty of requests though).
No-Bake Cookies Recipe
1 stick butter or margarine
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon of vanilla
3 cups of quick cook oats
In a medium size pot (preferably non-stick) melt butter over medium high heat. As soon as it is melted, add sugar, milk and cocoa powder. Turn the heat up to high. As soon as it starts to boil, time for 2-4 minutes, this will probably take some trial and error, I have found that different pots and even different stoves alter the time needed for the perfect cookie. Remove from heat. Add vanilla and peanut butter, stir until melted. Immediately add the oats and stir until they are all coated well, otherwise they will be uncooked. Drop by spoonfuls onto pans/foil for desired size. I like bigger cookies, but they take longer to cool!
As tempting as it might be to lick the spoon, don't. At least wait for a few minutes, because the candy mixture is several hundred degrees and will severely burn your mouth. Trust me.
Tip: I like to do prep work beforehand since the cookies cool very quickly, I get out the pans I am going to form them on and have them ready. Years ago I just started laying out sheets of aluminum foil or wax paper on the counter. You can make it the size you need and it's easy clean up.
Variations: I believe the original recipe calls for 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder, mine uses considerably more, you can play with the amounts to find a balance that you enjoy. I have used different types of peanut butter for this recipe over the years, depending on what I had on hand....
No sugar added, the cookies are slightly less sweet and have a more pronounced peanut flavor.
Crunchy, yes crunchy, the cookies had a different texture and a wonderful taste. This is definitely a The Mom approved variation.
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