Haystacks - An Unbaked Cookie

Here's another popular old recipe. Once a month I need to supply a dessert for a group that meets at my house. This is what I make when I really don't have much time to make anything. It's safe to say though, that nobody feels fobbed off with something makeshift - on the contrary, people cheer when they see these.

The only real difference between this recipe for Haystacks and a lot of the other recipes out there is I use WAY less sugar - at least half and up to two-thirds less - than most of them. Which is a little scary, because these are still more like candy than cookies. I also like to add a mixture of dried fruits or nuts to them. Chopped dried apricots, dried cherries or cranberries are favourites.

24 cookies
30 minutes - 10 minutes prep time

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup milk
3/4 cup Sucanat or dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons cocoa powder, sifted

1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup shredded dessicated coconut
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup nuts, raisins or other dried fruit, chopped (optional)

Put the butter, milk, sugar, and cocoa into a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Bring to a boil and boil steadily for 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Stir to mix as the butter is melting, but after that an occasional brief stir will be sufficient.

Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the oats, coconut, vanilla extract and nuts or raisins if desired.

Drop the mixture by spoonfuls onto a sheet of parchment or waxed paper, and let sit for 20 minutes to half an hour, until set. Keep the cookies well-sealed in a tin, for up to a week or two - if you can.