Deadly Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bakes

Hello everyone! I'm Micah, a vegetarian Kate managed to find in Idaho. I'm also allergic to gluten and rice, which makes life fun. This does mean I cook a lot, and I'm not complaining about that.

As I finish the last year of my undergrad, I've found that almost anytime a student organization needs money a bake sale is in order. As a member of a couple groups on campus, I've been wrangled into baking far more often than I'd like. (Mostly because anything I bake I end up eating in oh about a day.) I've made funfetti cake cookies, cake truffles, rice crispies. All sorts of delicious foods come out of my oven... All sorts of gluten and rice filled treats. This time around, I had my biggest challenge yet: my charge was to bring an item that was gluten-free, rice-free, and vegan.

I decided to go with the classic no bake cookie. And considering what wasn't sold at the bake sale this afternoon has already been demolished by my roommate and I (okay, mostly me), I would call them a success.

Deadly Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bakes 

(Gluten-free, Rice-free, Vegan)

Ingredients:
1 stick of vegan margarine (1/2 cup)
1/2 cup soy or almond milk
4 tablespoons dairy-free cocoa powder
2 cups sugar
1 cup chunky peanut butter
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Quick Cooking Oats

Equipment:
1 large sauce pan
Waxed paper lined cookie sheets

1. Over medium high heat, combine margarine, milk, cocoa powder and sugar in a large sauce pan. Stir until all ingredients are mixed. 
2. Let the mixture come to a foaming boil for two minutes and then remove the sauce pan from the burner. Stir occasionally to frequently during this process. **This step is really important. If you don't boil for long enough, the cookies won't hold. If you boil for too long, they will crumble**
3. Combine chunky peanut butter, vanilla, and oats with the mixture. Stir until well mixed.
4. Place tablespoons of the mixture on waxed paper lined cookie sheets. 
5. Place in the refrigerator. Let set for at least twenty minutes. Keep cookies cool until ready to serve.

This recipe makes a batch of about 30 cookies, but trust me, they don't last long. If you're feeling daring, consider adding shredded coconut and/or chocolate, peanut butter, or butterscotch chips. Also, if you aren't vegan, feel free to use butter and milk instead of margarine and soy milk. The same ratios will work just fine.