Spider Cookies

My good friends Jeff and Tosha recently returned from a trip to Mexico. They were ever so kind and brought me back some treats that included some hot sauce, vanilla beans, and a good quality Mexican cocoa. As soon as they handed it to me, I said, "I know just the recipe for the cocoa."

I've heard these cookies called "Haystacks," before. Whatever you call them, these are the easiest, quickest cookies to make in the world. Better yet, there is no baking involved! All you need is a pot and your stove.

This is another one of my mother's recipes. I used to make these when I was in university and my roommate Andrew always said that it reminded him of junior high school because you could buy these cookies for 25 cents each at the cafeteria.

Spider Cookies

2 Cups White Sugar

1/2 Cup Milk

1/2 Cup Butter

5 Tbsp Cocoa
2 Tsp Vanilla

3 Cups Oats

1 Cup Coconut

Method:

- In a medium/large pot on your stove, mix the first 5 ingredients and boil for about 5 minutes.

- Add oats and coconut and stir well with a wooden spoon

- Put a sheet of wax or parchment paper on a cookie sheet or your counter top and using 2 soup spoons, scoop some mixture on to the sheet and then shape it into a mound on the paper.
- Let the cookies sit until they are completely cool, about 20-30 minutes.

Notes:
The mixture is very hot, but it cools quickly so you have to work fast. One way of working fast is to use a small ice cream scoop. This is a very efficient way of doing it, but I like the look of the cookie better when you do it by hand.

Makes about 20-24 cookies.