Oatmeal Fudge Cookies

3 c Rolled oats

1 t Vanilla extract

1 c Nuts, chopped (optional)

2 c Sugar, granulated

1/2 c Cocoa powder

1/2 c Evaporated milk

1/4 lb Butter

Combine oats, vanilla and nuts in a bowl and set aside. Combine sugar, cocoa and evaporated milk in a heavy, 2-quart sauce pan. Bring to a full rolling boil over

medium-high heat, STIRRING CONSTANTLY. Let boil, while stirring, for 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat and add the butter. Stir until butter is melted and incorporated. Quickly add oat mixture to pan and stir until well mixed. Drop by the spoonful onto waxed paper. Let cool for 2 hours to set. NOTES: * No-bake chocolate oatmeal cookies -- This may be my all-time favorite cookie recipe. I don`t remember where I got this particular version of the recipe but I remember my great-aunt making these cookies for us as kids. * My great-aunt never put nuts in these cookies. I like nuts but I find that they get lost in the recipe. If you want the oats to be less prominent, use quick-cooking oats. They will fall apart somewhat in the final mixing. * A heavy sauce pan makes burning the fudge less likely but stir, stir, stir, anyway. * The cooking time at boil is important. Cooked too little the cookies will not set; too much and they start to harden before you get them out of the pan. * These cookies are better the next day, if there are any left. : Difficulty: easy to moderate. : Time: 20 minutes preparation and cooking, 2 hours cooling. : Precision: measure the ingredients, watch the cooking time. : Suzanne Padgett : Hadron, Inc., Fairfax, Virginia, USA : seismo!hadron!suz : There is no such thing as too much chocolate! : Copyright (C) 1986 USENET Community Trust