NO-BAKE BARS

In addition to the Candied Cashews, I also made No-Bake Bars for my friend's visit. These started out as No-Bake Cookies, until I saw that I was going to run out of cookie-dropping space. Instead of clearing off the table, the laziness side of me won out with a peeping voice that said, "Dump them in a pan! Cut them like bars!" And so I did, and I think it was much easier, both in the cooling stage and in the storing stage. These turned out to be very good breakfast bars as well. Not something to have every day perhaps since they are a desert, but the oats, nuts, and peanut butter seem to redeem them just a little. For a vacation, they were perfect.

NO-BAKE BARS

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup peanut butter

2 cups white sugar

pinch of cayenne pepper

1/2 cup mixed nuts, chopped

1/2 cup shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)

2 cups rolled oats

1. Put all the ingredients from the first list in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil stirring often.


2. Let boil for about a minute.


3. Remove from heat and add nuts, coconut, and oats.


4. Stir well to blend. Let stand for about two minutes, until the mixture begins to thicken.


5. Pour into a 9X13 pan and smooth down. Cool completely before cutting. (I stuck mine in the refrigerator to speed the process.)
   

These can be stored either at room temperature or in the refrigerator. I stored mine in the frig because my kitchen gets a lot of sun during the day and can become quite humid in the Miami heat.