BEDA 11: Recipe Tuesday on Wednesday

In honor of Question Tuesday on Wednesday, and because I forgot to post an as-promised recipe yesterday, I present you with one of Graham's favorite summer treats, no-bake cookies! I love citrusy, light desserts in the summer just as much as the next person, but I think decadent chocolate items should remain an important part of everyone's diet, even during warmer months. Since these cookies are frozen rather than baked, they'll cool you off and satisfy your sweet tooth on even the warmest nights. As an added bonus they're wheat free and can easily be made lower-fat by subbing applesauce for the margarine. The protein and fiber provided by the peanut butter and oats make these no-bakes practically healthy! At least, that's what I tell myself.

Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bakes

3 cups oats (quick cooking or rolled are fine)
1/3 cup peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
dash cinnamon
3 tbs. non-hydrogenated margarine
1/4 cup soy or almond milk
4 tbs. cocoa powder
3/4 cup sugar

Cover a large cookie sheet with wax paper. In a mixing bowl, combine oats, salt, cinnamon and vanilla. Add the peanut butter and cream with the back of the spoon until well-combined. Melt the margarine over medium heat in a sauce pan. Add the soy milk, sugar, and cocoa powder and mix gently until the mixture begins to bubble. Remove from heat. (You can also mix the ingredients and heat them in a microwave if you live in a dorm or other place without access to a stove.) Let cool for about a minute and pour over the oat mixture. Combine well. Scoop the batter onto the cookie sheet in heaping tablespoons. Place the cookies in the freezer for at least an hour, until they're relatively cool and firm. You can store these in the fridge or freezer or just eat them all right away (Graham's preferred method).

I hope you like these as much as I do. Let me know how they turn out, if you make them. Also, I copied this from memory rather than fetching my recipe card, so I sincerely apologize if a measurement or two are slightly off. Enjoy!