Chocolate No-bake Cookies

2 cups sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
1/2 cup milk
4 T. margarine

Mix these four ingredients together in a large saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Boil for one minute. After boiling remove from heat and add the following ingredients:

1/3 cup peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla
dash of salt
3 cups quick cooking oats

Drop mixture into desired size mounds on a cookie sheet. Cookies will set in a few minutes. Personally, I advise eating the mixture with a spoon while it is still warm; this way it is gooey and delicious. If all cookies are not consumed in a matter of minutes or hours, be sure to store in an air tight container. These cookies dry out very easily, and can become quite crumbly.

Ingredients:

3 cups oats
1 cup grated coconut
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup margarine
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1-2/3 ounces baking chocolate (whatever kind you like; I use semisweet) or 5 Tbsp. cocoa powder

Mix sugar, chocolate, margarine and milk together in a pot (I find it helps to put the sugar in first, add the other ingredients on top, and let the mixture sit and soak together while you prep the dry ingredients). Bring to a boil over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla and pour over oats and coconut. Mix thoroughly. Drop teaspoon-size lumps on a cookie sheet or other large, flat non-stick surface, cover, and place in fridge to chill (an hour is usually enough but overnight is best).

I want to share the following version of Unbaked Chocolate Cookies with you, because it is the BEST recipe EVER!!!!

I'm serious, make these. They are the epitome of chocolate-coconut goodness. They will bring positive energy into your life.
They will make your taste buds sing for joy. They will bring happiness to those you love.

Kids are especially fond of this recipe--they love the part at the end where you coat yourself in margarine
and grab handfuls of chocolate goo. When I was younger, making these was a Christmas tradition I loved sharing with my family.
Now that I'm older, I prepare these cookies for special occasions and people I care about.

Let's begin our journey toward delicious!

The Best Unbaked Chocolate Cookies Ever

Mix in a big bowl:

1 c coconut (not super tight-packed)

3 c instant oatmeal

Measure into a saucepan:

2 1/4 c sugar

1/3 c cocoa (add an extra dash, too)

1 square semi-sweet baking chocolate

1/2 c (1 stick) margarine

1/2 c evaporated milk (add an extra glug, again)

Set aside:

1 tsp vanilla extract

~1/4 c margarine (set out to soften)

a spoon

Combine ingredients in saucepan over medium low heat. Stir constantly (prevent burning). Bring to a boil and continue stirring, at a boil, for 3 minutes. After 3 minutes, remove from heat. When bubbling stops, stir in vanilla extract. Pour contents of saucepan into oat mix. Blend thoroughly.

Now for the fun and potentially dangerous part! Yay!
abandon ship now if you can't handle mess

Wait only a minute for the mixture to cool slightly...about the amount of time it takes to grab the spoon and the margarine...and proceed to rub margarine all over your palms and fingers.

This is possibly the most important part! Because:

1. The margarine protects your hands from recently-boiling chocolate
2. And creates a sealant around the flaky cookie ingredients.
3. A rich, salty flavor around the outside gives the inside's sugary sweetness a subtle contrast.
4. It's messy, and FUN!!!

Next, use the spoon to scoop some gooey cookie mix. Roll it up into a ball with your palms, and place it on a cookie sheet. At about 1 ½ inches in diameter, they're a perfect 2-3 bites each.

Advice from a pro: you will find that scooping the goo exposed most to air (the edges, the top layer) will prevent you from burning yourself. But BEWARE! If you let the mix cool for long it will be too flaky to stick together, and you will be forced to use a great deal of margarine + elbow grease to produce a decent cookie. Lack of chocolate mix/too much oat mix will have the same effect, which is why I recommend extra cocoa, milk and sugar (grandma's original recipe only called for 2 c sugar).

You're done. Yay, cookies! You will end up with about 40 balls, or 2 small cookie sheets full. Wintertime in Des Plaines, Illinois allows for cooling on top of the washing machine in the garage. In a climate outside my childhood memories, however, the fridge will work fine. Once chilled (overnight is good), store in an airtight container for maximum flavor retention.

These truly are the best cookies ever. They frequently elicit comments like, "WOW!" and "These are really GOOD!" except muffled through mouthfuls of oats. Know that when you make them, a little bit of my heart is in each cookie ever begotten from this recipe.

Good luck, and enjoy!