Field Guide to Candy: How to Identify and Make Virtually Every Candy Imaginable (96 page)

4.
Add the toasted coconut and stir to combine.

5.
Drop rounded tablespoons of the mixture onto the lined baking sheet, forming haystack-like mounds. Sprinkle untoasted coconut over the tops.

6.
Chill in refrigerator for about 1 hour until firm.

Yield:

About 16 haystacks

Storage:

Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

General Description:

These colorfully named candies are also known by a more appetizing name:
no-bake peanut butter chocolate cookies. A happy jumble of oats, peanut butter, and cocoa powder held together by a buttery sugar syrup, these confections have a rather down-to-earth appearance. However, their ease of creation is only matched by the speed at which they disappear from the table.

History:

Cow patties are on the line between cookie and candy. The recipe requires cooking sugar, which is part of candy making, but the flat, roundish form of the final product is definitely cookie-like. The
concept of “no-bake” cookies has also helped to blur the line between cookies and candy, since most traditional cookies require baking, but candies do not. This ambiguity has led to other sweet treats such as
rum balls
or
crisped rice treats
being labeled as cookies or candy in different cookbooks.

Serving Suggestions:

You can serve cow patties on a cookie plate with chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin cookies or in a candy bowl with
no-fail fudge
and
no-cook fondant
creams.

Candy-Making Notes:

The key to these treats is making sure the sugar is fully melted and the syrup is smooth.

Recipe:

1.
Line a baking sheet with wax paper or a silicone baking mat.

2.
Combine sugar, butter, milk, and cocoa powder in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally to ensure that the sugar is fully melted. Remove from heat.

3.
Stir in the peanut butter and vanilla.

4.
Add the oats and stir until they are fully distributed throughout the mixture.

5.
Drop mounds of the mixture onto the baking sheet, forming 3-inch round patties. Let them set for about 1 hour before serving.

Yield:

About 15 patties

Storage: