1/2 cup cocoa
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup flaked coconut
3 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
Line two baking sheets with waxed paper. In a large saucepan, stir together cocoa, sugar, milk and butter. Boil for 5 minutes, then remove from heat. Stir in vanilla extract, coconut and oats. Combine well. Drop by tablespoonfulls onto prepared cookie sheets. Refrigerate 1 hour or until set. Keep refrigerated. Makes 3-4 dozen cookies.
Abb Dec 2, 2008
Would make this again.
I'm going to make for my school home work on wednesday the 9th. I think it is great!
cookie maker from Michigan Nov 29, 2008
Would make this again.
I have made these for about 45 years. Don't use too much coconut (I only use 1/2 cup coconut and 2 1/2 c. oats)as it will absorb the moisture in the cookies and dry them out and you'll have the crumbs described by one reviewer. If you want more coconut, decrease the amount of oats by the same amount of extra coconut you add. The boiling time is mainly to be sure the sugar is dissolved. If the cookies seem a bit sticky, don't worry about it. The longer they sit, the harder and dryer they become. I also use a small ice cream scoop to plop them out as it goes much faster. I also add 1/2 c. raisens and 1/2 c. chopped walnuts to this recipe.
SeaTea in Kitchener, ON Nov 22, 2008
Would make this again.
I was also quite excited to find these cookies, as I have an identical 1960's recipe from my mother, which has been my kids' favourite for 30 years. We call them Robert's Brown Cookies (or it could be Robert Brown's cookies...we never figured that one out)
I wanted to mention 2 VERY important points, for anyone making this recipe for the first time.
1. The boiling time is CRUCIAL - boil too long and your cookies will not hold together, they will be a bowl full of crumbs (which still taste good, but are not so nice for serving to guests)If you don't boil the syrup long enough, your cookies will not harden properly and will be gummy and sticky.
The EXACT boiling time is 2 1/2 minutes FROM THE TIME THE SYRUP REACHES A ROLLING BOIL (a boil which cannot be stirred down)
There is probably an exact temperature on a candy thermometer for this stage, but I have never measured it.
2. Work QUICKLY to form your cookies, otherwise they will cool and not hold together (another bowl full of crumbs!).
This is also a good reason to not double the recipe, unless you have another pair of capable hands to help you get the cookies formed before the mixture cools and hardens.
I use 2 teaspoons to scoop and scrape and make them small (although my kids love them big). Small ones last longer and I get about 4 dozen from this recipe.
If you like chocolate peanut butter, you can substitute 1/4 c. peanut butter for the coconut, and add 1/4 c. more oatmeal. Also if you are out of coconut, or don't like it, you can use an extra cup of oatmeal to replace it.
Enjoy...this is a VINTAGE recipe! Very quick and easy. And delicious!
Jan in Guelph Ontario Canada Sep 11, 2008
Would make this again.
Ah,a recipe I recall making for my family when my kids were young.I'd sure make them again! Now that that there are just 2 of us, I halved the recipe quite successfully-it lends itself to that. I also added in chopped walnuts, about 1/3 cup for half the recipe. Quite nice. I enjoy fast recipes, and this was one. I hope you enjoyed the cookies as much as me (chomp!
Denise in in New Brunswick Canada Apr 13, 2008
Would make this again.
I looked ever where for this recipe I loved it as a kid and wanted my childern to try it. My little one thinks this are great!
