Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

No baking required! I had to do a little bit of research after Harold, my dear Southern friend, talked about no bake cookies. Apparently, this no bake oatmeal nonsense is a Southern thing, not that a silly Northerner like me would know about it. The concept is strange to me and the only time I’ve heard of No Bake products, were Jello No Bake products. These were the kinds that you just mixed and whipped things and let it set in the fridge. I’m currently working on a good no bake recipe but I tried one from Epicurious.com. I learned that soy milk probably doesn’t work because it doesn’t have the cow proteins and fat to bind the product together. Mine turned out a bit gooey and fudge-like, even when it cooled, and even when I attempted to freeze it. I bake-failed! I’m now incredibly determined to create a new, successful recipe. Read the recipe after the jump!

Here’s the Epicurious version, if you dare:

• 2 c. sugar
• 4 tbsp. cocoa powder
• 1 stick butter
• 1/2 c. milk
• 1 c. peanut butter
• 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
• 3 c. oatmeal

In a medium saucepan, boil the first three ingredients on the list. Gradually add in all the other ingredients when the pan is on medium heat. When the mixture starts to harden, place into individual cupcake cases to make them into nicely rounded cookies, or drop them onto a baking pan lined with unbleached parchment paper. Let it cool and sit until the cookies are hardened.