Jessy Bakes

I’ve been wanting something with chocolate and coconut lately.  I snuck in a batch of my favorite chocolate chippers already this week .  So, I thought I’d try a No Bake cookie this weekend.  

Here’s the Original Recipe

I made a few subtle changes.  So, here’s my version:

Jessy Didn’t Bake These Cookies 1:

• 2 cups white sugar
• 3 tablespoons Hershey’s Original cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup lowfat milk (I used 2%.  No particular reason.  Just what I had on hand.)
• 1 pinch salt
• 2-1/2 cups quick cooking oats
• 1/2 cup peanut butter (I actually replaced about 1/4 of this with Nutella)
• 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Place sugar, cocoa, butter, milk and salt into a saucepan and stir, slowly bringing to a rapid boil.  Boil for 1 minute (constantly stirring).

2. Add rest of the ingredients (I had them pre-measured and ready to just dump in!) and stir until combined.  Turn off heat.

3. Drop by rounded spoonful onto wax or parchment paper (I used a cookie scoop because the mixture is pretty warm.).  Let cool.  Feel free to “clean” the pan and spoon while you wait  They cool down a bit faster than the cookies.

I’ve been craving Oreo’s lately.  I don’t like buying them though because portion control is a bit tough for me when it comes these cookies.  Or, I’ll buy a bag and find them off a bit.  Like stale?  OR, I’ll buy a bag, have 2 and then be done.  So, this bag of Oreos sits in my pantry forever or (more likely) the husband finds and devours them.  Well, all of them but one broken one and leaves the package in the pantry :/ , but that’s a whole other topic.  I’ve also always wondered what exactly is IN an Oreo; especially the filling.  I just didn’t really want to know I guess.  All of that hydrogenated goodness…

I found this post by Olga on Sassy Radish and thought I’d give it a try.  Her cookies look fantastic!  I was a little shaken by my earlier Newton Fiasco.  I thought there was no way these cookies would actually taste exactly like Oreos anyways.  I’d just screw up and go buy a bag and deal with the consequences.

I’m SO excited to report that Olga’s recipe is perfect!!!  You can smell Oreo as soon as you mix together the dry ingredients!  It really smells like the dark round goodness I’m used to.  The filling is just right too!  These are SO easy to whip up I’ll likely never buy another bag of Oreo cookies.  The only change I made was to use Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder.  I also have to say that flattening your cookies pretty well is a good idea.  They do puff a bit, but are a wafer (read CRUNCHY… like Oreos).  I used a cookie scoop and just pinched the ball in half to make my cookies.  They turned out just the right size.  Yay for Olga’s Oreo’s!