Bridezilla Bakes

The second (and last?) installment of a (very short?) series on no-bake desserts.

These peanut butter and cocoa oatmeal cookie balls have a special place in my heart, because they were one of the first desserts I ever made in our Chicago apartment. It was last summer, when Sean had just moved in to our new place and I hadn’t even transitioned yet. It was a time of transition and turmoil…  especially because we hadn’t gotten any of our wedding presents yet. Since we only got married for the presents, living without wedding swag and in such close proximity to each other was extremely taxing, even if it was only for a short time.

After all, until marriage, Sean and I had only dated long-distance… and it had been an extremely rocky relationship. We broke up so many times while we were dating that when we reached our 6 month anniversary last week, it marked the longest we had ever been together (consecutively). As Sean says, each day is a new record Heh, heh.

In any case, sometime last July we found ourselves in a new apartment with two spoons, two unmatched bowls, one saucepan, and a handheld potato masher that we had to return to Sean’s previous roommate when he claimed it the following month. It had been weeks since I had done any real baking or cooking, and my stress levels were rising.

This recipe really saved the day. I mixed these babies up in the saucepan using spoon #2 (the bigger one) and this no-bake dessert could not have been easier or more satisfying. Like the Peanut Butter and Chocolate Bars, these come together in well under 30 minutes and are really satisfying. Also like the Peanut Butter and Chocolate Bars, the main flavors are… peanut butter and chocolate. The oats give them crunch and the powdered sugar makes them adorable.

Sean says he likes them because they’re bite-sized. I think he likes the flavor too, but I’m not pushing it. When every day is a new record, you have to pick your battles

No Bake Oatmeal Cookie Balls
Adapted from Taste and Tell, who adapted it from allrecipes.com

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 3 to 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 3 tablespoons peanut butter
• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

In a large bowl, combine the oats, sugar and cocoa. Dump in the water, vanilla, butter and peanut butter, then use your hands to combine the mixture into a dough. (Really, use your hands. A spoon is a waste of time here).

Wash hands, then roll/press the dough into balls 1 to 2 inches in diameter. Roll balls in confectioners’ sugar until coated, tapping off excess when necessary (go easy on the powdered sugar, or the taste will be too strong).

Tags: chocolate, peanut butter