If the temperature is up near 100 degrees, then the oven should NOT be on! We do not need any extra heat on this July day. I decided that this would be the perfect day to make one of the recipes that doesn’t require a 350 degree oven. So today became “No Bake Cookie Day”. This recipe was submitted by Aunt Naoma, and apparently it is one of Jason Ahlden’s favorites. I had never made no-bake cookies before, so this was a first for me. Grandma also didn’t remember making any no-bake cookies before today either. Last year, I remember my mom attempting a no-bake cookie recipe she found online. They were terrible! The cookies turned out hard and crumbly. Grams and I challenged her that ours would turn out much better.
Grams and I read through the recipe which describes bringing the ingredients to a “rolling boil.” We had no clue what this meant, but we figured it was probably important. This led us to our first You-Tube experience together. She suggested we call Aunt Naoma, whose recipe this was, but I told her we could just Google it. Grams was quite impressed that we could watch a “rolling boil” video lesson on the computer. Basically, we concluded that this type of boil is meant to be quick but really strong. We both learned something today.
Grams and I fell into our roles of me reading and measuring while she stirs and taste tests. Those of you who are my Facebook friends know that I have recently changed my relationship status to “in a relationship.” This made me curious about what type of dating experiences Grams had before she met Grandpa Ahlden. It’s crazy to think that she was 19 years old when she and Grandpa Ahlden married, and here I am at 22 years old, and barely “in a relationship.” I said, “Grams, did you date many guys before you met Grandpa?” She replied, “Oh yes, I went on lots of dates before meeting your Grandpa.” It’s strange to think of your parents and grandparents as young and playful, but oddly enough they are REAL people! Grams told me that when she was in high school, she went on dates to movies and dances. Even sixty-some years later, her face lit up when she spoke of those dances. Kids from nearby towns gathered at the Danforth Community Hall to dance to the music of The Jolly Sailors. Sometimes she went with girlfriends and met up with the boys, but other nights she went on a more formal date with a gentleman who picked her up from her home. I can just imagine Grams all dressed up and giggly, standing with her girlfriends and smiling at the boys! I’m sure she caught the eye of every guy at the town hall dance. Today, Grams reminded me of something that I desperately needed to be reminded of. She said, “Amber, you know, sometimes you have to go on dates to find out what kind of man you want to be with. And then when you meet him, you know.”
We tested our first batch of Aunt Naoma’s No-Bake Cookies, thought they were delicious, and decided to make a second batch. If you like eating cookie dough (and who doesn’t!) then you will love these cookies. They also remind me of chocolaty fudge. For our second batch, we added about a half a cup of pecan chips. These were even tastier. Today seemed to be a good day for Grams; the sun was shining, and her mind seemed sharp. I think me and Grams both feel our best on sunny days---even if it’s nearly 100 degrees outside!
Great favorite cookie choice, Jason Ahlden! This is a great recipe and our cookies turned out way better than my mom’s did!
No Bake Cookies – Naoma Ahlden
1 cup sugar
2 T. cocoa
¼ cup butter
¼ cup milk
Bring these ingredients to a rolling boil and boil for 1 minute.
Remove from heat: add the following ingredients:
1 ½ cups quick oatmeal
¼ cup peanut butter
1 1/3 t. vanilla
Nuts or miniature marshmallows opt.
Drop by teaspoon onto wax paper.
One of Jason Ahlden’s favorite cookies.
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