Chocolate-Peanut Butter No-Bakes

     Do you ever have one of those days where you just need to "self-nurture"? You know, when for whatever reason you just wish you could call your mom and feel better? Well, for many of us, that isn't possible anymore...so, for me sometimes the combination of my love for cooking, an old favorite recipe of my grandmother's and of course a bit of chocolate tends to help for a moment. 

     If you are as old as I am, you will know this simple recipe. My dad's mother made these all the time. I'm sure it was created because it is made with ingredients that most people had in their kitchens all the time. I haven't made them in decades, but I saw them pinned on Pinterest a few days ago and I knew that I would be making them soon. Cookies today have more ingredients and tend to take longer to make. These go back to the days of simple, easy, inexpensive and made with staples.

     I don't even know the name of this recipe. My grandmother just called them "No-Bakes". They are sort of a cross between a cookie and a candy. They are not good for you...some days I just don't care about that!

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

2 cups white sugar

1/2 cup milk

4 heaping T. unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup peanut butter (I used crunchy)

3 1/2 cups quick cooking oats

2 tsp. vanilla

Add the first 4 ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil, and boil for 1 minute. Stir in the next 3 ingredients and drop onto wax/parchment paper. Let cool until set.  

     You can use a scoop and make them prettier than mine. I used a spoon, my goal was to get them done and eat them! Yes, I had 2 while they were still a bit warm...and one later in the afternoon. Then, I put some on a plate and gave them away because I knew I was in trouble. Sometimes we just take a hug from our grandmothers any way we can get it...yesterday, mine was with a bit of chocolate and a lot of memories.