Two of my weaknesses are chocolate and peanut butter… but when they are combined it is more than double trouble for me. This is one of my very favorite cookie recipes but I have limited when I make them to times that I can take at least half of the batch to someone else and give them away. If they are left in my house I will eat them… all of them. This morning I was able to pawn them off on my unsuspecting ladies bible study.
My Grandmother used to make these for us when we were kids and I started making them in collage. There are many versions of this recipe, this one includes peanut butter and shredded coconut. You can eliminate either of those items if you need or want to for whatever reason.
Here is what you will need:
Start with your butter and your milk in a medium sauce pan on medium.
Just at it is starting to boil add your sugar, cocoa powder and salt.
Keep it on medium heat until it boils then reduce it to medium low or just hot enough to keep small bubbles rolling to the surface. Stir frequently!!
Boil until the mixture reaches “soft ball stage”. Drizzle a little of the candy into a dish of cold water to check.
If you do not know what soft ball stage is, that is when you can drizzle a little of the mixture in a dish of cold water to cool it quickly (be careful, it is HOT!!) then once it is cooled, scoop it out with your fingers and try to form a ball with the candy.
As you can see in the picture, the first time I checked it I was not able to form it into a ball so I cooked it a few minutes longer and checked again.
This time it is was ready. Once it is at the soft ball stage remove it from the heat and add your vanilla and peanut butter. Stir until the peanut butter is melted and thoroughly mixed.
Next, add the coconut and oats and stir until completely combined. (I totally missed taking these pictures so next time I make the cookies I will snap a few and add them)
Drop spoonfuls on to wax paper or parchment paper (as you can see I was out of paper and aluminum foil worked fin in a pinch)
Allow to cool for about 30 minutes before storing in an airtight container at room temperature.
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 stick real butter
- ½ tsp salt
- 4 Tbsp cocoa powder
- ½ cup milk
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup shredded coconut
- ¾ cup smooth peanut butter
- 3 cups quick oats
- Melt butter with milk in sauce pan on medium heat.
- Add sugar, salt and cocoa and bring to boil, boil until "soft ball"stage. Remove from heat.
- Add vanilla and peanut butter, stir to combine.
- Add coconut and oats, stir until combined.
- Drop spoons full onto wax paper to cool.
- Store in airtight container at room temperature.
You are so right. You can’t make these unless you have someone to give half of them to. I used to make these for my kids & at Christmas time. I had trouble stopping once I started eating these. I never put coconut in mine but it’s funny because people always thought they had it in them. I haven’t made these in years since I live alone & I know I’d be the one eating them but I sure miss them!
Such an old recipe!
My mom made these for us when we were kids (I’m 50) and I’ve made them for my family for 30 years. I just made some this week and used crunchy peanut butter. Don’t know why I never thought of this before. They were great with chunks of peanuts.
what would the weight of butter used in the Pound Cake recipe be in grams please?
Faye, I am not sure about the weight, sorry.