Little Drops of Joy

   In the scorching heat of summer no one want to use the oven, yet, with a house full of teens - sweet snacks are necessary. My husband loves cookies (it's no secret) in his lunch; chocolate, even better. Though traditional chocolate chip are the standard favorite around here (with little tolerance for any other) I have a special summer cookie that satisfies the desire for chocolate and the lack of desire to bake.
   When I was a girl, my family made Joy cookies; simple, sweet and tasty. The blessing here is no oven necessary. Using a soup pot, spoon, some wax paper and to stove top- Joy cookies are simply joyful.

JOY COOKIES

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup cocoa

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup butter

3/4 cup peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 cups oatmeal

Simply begin by placing sheets of wax paper on a counter top or table; I make strips the length of two cookie sheets per recipe (never make one batch at a time- they won't last!). Start the cookie by stirring the first four ingredients together in a large pot (soup pot, stock pot, or dutch oven). Heat the mixture over medium high heat until boiling; boil two minutes. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter until smooth; add vanilla. Quickly stir in the oatmeal until well coated. Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper allowing to cool and set.

   Simple and not too much work with delicious results. These cookies store well in the refrigerator or freezer; at room temp they are fine if you have a cooler kitchen than I do. For convenience, I place six to twelve cookies per sandwich size bag, freeze them, and watch the smiles as my family eats little drops of joy.