[by Guest blogger Lori]
I made the assumption when my mom used to make these cookies for us that you just threw all the ingredients in a bowl, stirred it up and voila!  Having “no-bake” in the name apparently doesn’t mean that there’s no cooking involved and that they’re super easy. Super easy, they are.. but no-cook, they are not. A fun little tradition that my grandma started was making these cookies at Easter. She’d shape them into nests and put a couple of Cadbury Mini-

Eggs in them — who can resist mini-eggs? And now, my mom is making them for my little guy.  I love traditions :)  I recently asked her for the recipe so that I could send them to my son’s daycare. They were a hit with all the little bunnies today!

1 1/2 cups sugar

5 tbsp cocoa

1/2 cup milk

1/3 cup canola oil

3 cups of quick oats

1 cup coconut (I use the unsweetened one… otherwise these are a little too sweet for my liking)

1 tsp. vanilla

1/4 tsp. salt

1 – Combine sugar and cocoa in a saucepan.

2 – Add milk slowly. Stir over low heat until the sugar dissolves.

3 – Bring to a boil, add canola oil and oats stirring briskly. Cook for 1 – 3 minutes stirring constantly. (3 minutes was the magic number for me — no more or it gets a little hard)

4 – Remove from heat. Add coconut, vanilla and salt.

5 – Let the mixture cool a bit at room temperature so that you can handle it to make the nests (about 10 – 15 minutes).

6 – Using a spoon, scoop a ball of the mixture onto wax paper. Press in the middle to form a nest. Add 2 or 3 mini eggs.

7 – Refrigerate.  These also freeze well!

Kath’s quote:  “Caramels are only a fad. Chocolate is a permanent thing.”-Milton Snavely Hershey