Everybody's Favorite No-Bake Cookies

My goodness y'all, this weather is just crazy! 70 degrees one day. Raining and freezing cold the next. But no matter what the weather is, a classic, never complicated no bake cookie is always welcome. I have been eating these cookies since I was little. It is probably one of the first cookies I ever made on my own because it is so easy. I bet you have every ingredient in your pantry so get on in your kitchen and "bake" these sweets.

No-Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
Recipe from www.food.com
1/2 cup butter
2 cups sugar 
1/2 cup milk
4 tablespoons cocoa

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

3-3 1/2 cups dry quick-cooking oats

2 teaspoons vanilla

Put the butter, sugar, milk, and cocoa into a sauce pan over medium heat.

Bring to a rolling boil and boil for 1 minute.

Remove from heat. Stir in the peanut butter, oats, and vanilla.

Drop spoon fulls onto wax paper. Let cool until set. Or eat them warm and gooey like my family does!

Chocolate Gravy

Valentine's Day is coming up y'all! I think the best V-Day presents are those that fill your tummy and warm your heart. So why not start the day with some breakfast in bed with your honey?
Chocolate gravy has been a Christmas morning tradition for my family for as long as I can remember. Until I met my husband I thought my family was the only family who ate chocolate gravy. In the whole world. I was wrong. So now we eat chocolate gravy more than just Christmas morning and I thought this would be such an easy, but decadent, Valentine's breakfast.

3 tablespoons cocoa
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons flour
Pinch of salt
2 cups milk
1 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix all your dry ingredients together in a medium saucepan. Add milk and whisk constantly over medium to low heat.

The gravy will begin to thicken and get bubbly. Whisk in the butter and vanilla.

Remove from heat and pour over biscuits. I used canned biscuits because ummm...they are convenient, they don't make a mess like homemade biscuits do, and they taste pretty dang good. I did use the Pillsbury Simply Buttermilk Biscuits (no high fructose corn syrup and no artificial flavors or colors) which makes me feel a little bit better. I should add that if you use these I recommend you bake them in a round pan which will increase your baking time. Anyway....dig in! 

Don't be ashamed to lick your plate clean.

For more Valentine's inspiration check out these goodies by Bakerella. Think I can make them all by the 14th?

Nougat Brownies

What do y'all like to do when you are snowed in? I like to lay around, cook, eat, lay around some more, and then eat some more! Maybe not the best combo for my mid-section but it's a snow day, right? Live it up a little!
I was inspired to make these brownies by some sorta failed cupcakes I made this past weekend. The cupcakes were supposed to taste just like Snickers candy bars. They kinda did. They had all the same key flavors of a Snickers. But sadly, these cupcakes were not so appealing to the eye. They looked nothing like the beauties the magazine showed. The recipe calls for a nougat frosting that is uh-maze-ing. I had leftover nougat so I thought that would be quite nice spread onto some warm, gooey brownies. If you want you can sprinke peanuts on top and you will have all the flavors of Snickers. Not as convenient as a Snickers but a lot more fun! 

Chocolate Brownies

Recipe from Saco Premium Cocoa
For the brownies I used a recipe on the back of my cocoa. Very fudgy and rich. Yum! My pan was too big so they turned out thinner than I would have liked but they were still sooo good!


1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup AP flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup nuts, chopped; optional

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Grease one 8-inch square baking pan. Melt butter.

Add cocoa and stir until well-blended. 

Add sugar and mix well.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Stir in vanilla, flour and salt. Do not overbeat. 

If desired, fold in nuts.  Spread in prepared pan and bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until wooden toothpick tests done.

Nougat Frosting

Adapted from Food Network Magazine
1 jar of marshmallow cream
1/8 to 1/4  cup creamy peanut butter (depends on how much you want the PB flavor)
Dash of salt

Beat the marshmallow creme, peanut butter, and salt with a mixer until smooth. Pour and spread onto brownies. If desired, sprinkle with peanuts.

Oh so sticky, but oh so good.

Root Beer Float Cake

I really like root beer, and y'all might just call me unsouthern, but I'm just not a fan of root beer floats. I guess I just don't like the creamy concoction I end up with in my glass. However, I do love this cake. Chocolate and root beer with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Need I say more? How about, this is one of the most moist chocolate bundt cakes you will ever have. And the root beer is very subtle so this cake is definitely for chocolate lovers!

Root Beer Float Cake
Recipe from joythebaker.com

2 cups root beer (not diet)

1 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
2 cups AP flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Spray the inside of a 10-inch Bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray.

In a small saucepan, heat the root beer, cocoa powder and butter over medium heat until butter is melted. Add sugars and whisk until dissolved.  Remove from heat and let cool. In a small bowl whisk the eggs until just beaten. Then whisk into the cocoa mixture until combined.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Gently fold the cocoa mixture into the flour mixture. The batter will be slightly lumpy and loose. Don’t over beat the batter or it could cause the cake to be tough.

Pour the batter into prepared pan and cook for 35-45 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking until a sharp knife inserted in the center comes out clean.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely then loosen edges with a butter knife and turn out onto a cake plate.

Chocolate Root Beer Frosting
2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, melted
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup root beer
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 1/2  cups powdered sugar

Beat softened butter and cocoa powder with mixer. Once combined add the melted chocolate, salt, powdered sugar, and root beer.  Beat together until smooth. Spread on top of cooled cake.  Slice and serve warm with vanilla ice cream.