Cookies Made with Cereal

Making cookies with cereal often means that it isn't necessary to bake them since the cereal takes the place of dough. Here are three examples:

• Ellen's Unbaked Cookies
• Special K Bars
• Cornflake Macaroons

Ellen's Unbaked Cookies

Elaine Ferris

Between my junior and senior years at Michigan State, my friend Ellen (Elaine) and I spent a summer housesitting for her parents in Mason, MI. When we needed a treat, Ellen made these addictively good cookies. They kept me going through a few long nights as a grad student in Toronto. These cookies were in Mom's box as "Aunt June's Unbaked Cookies," which caused some puzzlement. Since I never met Ellen's Aunt June, I always think of these as Ellen's cookies.

• 4 tablespoons cocoa
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 cups quick oats

Mix sugar, milk, butter, cocoa. Boil 1 minute. Add peanut butter and vanilla. Stir until melted. Add oats. Mix to coat them completely. Drop by spoonfuls onto wax paper or a greased plate. Or just dump it, spread it out, and break off bits to eat [—preferably not all at once if you're alone].

Special K Bars

M. Schmedal, Indiana.

This recipe is from a chain letter in 1961.

For the bars

• 4 cups Special K cereal
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup dark brown Karo syrup
• 1 1/2 cups peanut butter

Pour the cereal into a well-buttered 9-by-12 inch oven-proof dish.

In a pot combine the sugar and Karo. Stir until it reaches a good boil. Remove from heat and stir in the peanut butter. Pour mixture over the cereal, mix well, and pat down flat.

For the frosting

• 1 package chocolate bits
• 1 package caramel bits

Melt together and mix over hot water.

Spread the frosting over the cereal mixture. Refrigerate. Then set out and cut.

Corn Flake Macaroons

• 1 egg white, beaten stiff
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut
• 1 cup cornflakes
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix in order given, drop from tip of spoon on buttered sheet, and bake for 20 minutes at 350°F.

The presence of egg means this one has to be baked. For an unbaked version, replace the egg with Karo or a similar corn syrup and cook as for Special K bars. After removing the syrup from heat, stir the vanilla, almond and coconut, gently add the corn flakes and drop by spoonfuls onto a greased platter or waxed paper.