Sunday, April 25, 2010

No-Bake "Dream" Cookies


I decided to do something a little different this time. I've been inspired by another blogger; (http://thepioneerwoman.com/) but please don't compare my blog to hers...she's a PROFESSIONAL!!) 

While attending school in the 60s, 70s and 80s, the cafeteria ladies would make what they called "dream cookies".  They were basically 'no-bake' cookies.  They were dreamy. But we only got one.  So as I got older, my Mom taught me how to make them with a recipe she got from...well...not sure where she got it.  All I know is, they were DEE-LISH!!  And if you didn't make them in just the right way, or under the right conditions they were either very gooey, or very dry.

For instance; you only need 1/2 cup of butter or margarine.  Which is basically one stick. Well, my mom decided to buy some different brand one time, and these 'sticks' were 'shorter'.  They didn't look the same as the other ones.  And I didn't read labels back then. I just knew you put in ONE stick of butter.  However, these looked smaller, so I added TWO.  Needless to say we were eating those cookies with a spoon.

I have also discovered that the humidity level matters as well.  If it's too humid (above 70%), there's a chance they may not 'set up'.  So fall/winter is usually the best time to make them here in southwest Missouri.

Okay....enough of the small talk; here's how I make them:

Put 1/2 cup of butter/margarine, 2 cups of sugar, 1/4 cup cocoa, and 1/2 cup of milk in a 3-qt saucepan.
*hint: mix the sugar and cocoa together really well before you add it to the pan. 

Here's what it looks like so far:

 


Bring this mixture to a ROLLING BOIL.....stirring occasionally. Now it looks like this:




Once it comes to a ROLLING BOIL, set your timer for ONE minute, and DON'T stir.

Then remove from the heat and add the following:
1/2 cup peanut butter, 3 cups QUICK cooking oatmeal, 1 tsp. vanilla, 1/2 cup chopped pecans (opt).

Now you have this:



(Don't worry, it will look better soon!)

(See, I told you.) 

Mix this up really well, then drop by tablespoon-full on cookie sheets lined with waxed paper.
 You should end up with something like this:



I let them 'set up' for about 1/2 hour, then transfer the cookie sheets to my refrigerator.  After about another hour, they should be set enough to transfer to a container. Make sure you keep them tightly covered. I also put mine in the refrigerator. It seems to help them from drying out (as long as you put the lid back on everytime you get one, two, or ten out).  

Another thing, our schools always made them square. So I'm assuming they poured the entire batch onto the cookie sheets, then cut them into squares after they set up. I haven't really tried that method yet.  Maybe they just greased the cookie sheets first? Perhaps with butter? Or I guess you could cover the cookie sheet with the waxed paper making sure it hangs over the edges. But you'd have to flip it over and peel off the waxed paper before you cut them or you'd have little bits of waxed paper to pick out of your teeth.  I prefer the 'spoon' method myself.

ENJOY!!

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