#KitchenClearout recipe : No-bake Peanut Butter Cookies

Due to lack of time and energy, I haven't done a #KitchenClearout recipe for a while, but this weekend I decided to have a look for a recipe that would use up two things that I have in abundance in my kitchen cupboards - peanut butter and porridge oats. The whole point of #KitchenClearout is using things up rather than buying in more ingredients so when I saw this recipe for Santa's Refrigerator Peanut Butter Cookies (No Baking Required!) on the Not Quite Nigella blog, it ticked all the right boxes. They're quick and simple, totally foolproof and taste great - we'll definitely be making them again and I might try with other combinations, like raisins or coconut.

No-bake Peanut Butter Cookies

ingredients :

2/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup milk

75g butter

a pinch of salt

1.5 cups porridge oats

1/2 cup/125g peanut butter

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup salted peanuts

Bring the sugar, milk, butter and salt to the boil in a saucepan.

Simmer for one minute - I was amazed at how beautifully thick and creamy it went - then add the oats, peanut butter, vanilla and peanuts. (I used up the end of a jar of peanut butter and strawberry jelly, which appeared to be about 2/3 jam and 1/3 peanut butter !)

 Boil for another minute, stirring constantly and making sure that no bits stick to the bottom of the pan. Taste and add extra salt if necessary.

Line two baking trays with baking parchment or foil and dollop heaped spoonfuls of mixture on to the trays. They can be shaped as they cool if you want a more regular shape. They stay soft and gooey but do just about hold their shape as you peel them off the foil and cram them in your mouth ! (Update - if you leave them overnight in the fridge, they're much firmer ... but they might not last that long !)

Fancy having a look to see what's lurking in the back of your larder? Join in with this month's #KitchenClearout linkie !