AMISH BOILED COOKIES

Recently when there were not any interesting looking estate sales near us, Friend Janice and I decided to go to the West Bottoms. The first weekend in the month, this is the place to be. I wrote a post on it not long after I started this blog and shared pictures of the crowds and some of the interesting items we saw that were for sale. Five years later it is even bigger. 

In one of the "stall" we discovered some cookbooks and imagine my excitement when one of them contained Amish and Mennonite recipes from across the country. Marcia Adams wrote her award-winning book Cooking from Quilt Country in 1989 about Amish and Mennonite communities near her Indiana home. Ten years later New Recipes from Quilt Country was published. The book is "packed with her thoughtful observations on the land, the people, and their traditions, plus brand-new photographs from photo-journalist Alexandra Avakian, it provides a fascinating window into an evolving culture that continues to intrigue and delight us."  Marcia offers "fascinating insights into the Amish way of life. Broadening her scope to include Amish communities across the United States and Canada, too." She also shares how outside influences have found their way into the Amish kitchens. The book is fascinating reading even if you don't make any of the recipes - if you can resist. I can't.

I especially like how Marcia introduces each recipe. According to her, these cookies "appear in many Amish cookbooks and are also sometimes called funeral cookies, since they can be made in a hurry and taken to the grieving family. There's no baking at all involved, the cooking process takes place on top of the stove."

AMISH BOILED COOKIES

1/2       cup (1 stick) butter
1/2       cup milk
2          cups sugar (I used 1-1/2 cups sugar)
3          tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1/2       cup regular peanut butter
1           teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4       teaspoon salt
3          cups quick-cooking oats (not instant)
1/2       cup coarsely chopped pecans

I started by getting all of the ingredients out and measured (except for the vanilla and salt).

In a medium size saucepan, over medium heat, mix the butter, milk, sugar, and cocoa;

(I cut the butter into chunks so it would melt faster.)

Bring mixture to a boil, stirring to blend the cocoa with the rest of the ingredients.

Boil for 1 minute. (I stirred the mixture constantly.)

Remove from the heat and stir in the peanut butter, vanilla, and salt.

Stir til the peanut butter completely melts.

Add the pecans and oats.

Stir til completely mixed together.

Cover cookies sheets with wax paper. Using a small cookie scoop or a teaspoon, (My small cookie scoop I use for all my cookies will hold 1 tablespoon of water.)

drop cookies on wax paper spacing them so they do not touch. Allow the cookies to stand, unrefrigerated, for at least 1 hour. 

Store in an airtight container, with wax paper between the layers. (I also placed the container in the refrigerator.)

I made 50 cookies.