Oatmeal...Day 3

Bet you think I wouldn't make it to day 3...or 3 days in a row at least. Well, BOOM! I did! Helps that the recipe I'm featuring today is super easy, not to mention super yummy, and completely peanut & tree-nut free! (as everything I make is nowadays, so silly statement)

As mentioned yesterday, there are many edible ways to eat oats...oatmeal, in granola, granola bars, pancakes, muffins, as a binding agent in meatloaf & burgers, as a streusel topping on a blueberry cobbler (yum! I love a warm cobbler..with ice cream. oops, I diverge).

I was trying to think of a quick cookie recipe...something without baking. Like...no bake cookies! No bake cookies call for oats. And peanut butter :/  So I was curious, and started thinking- another "binding" flavor is butterscotch, which thinking of the flavor makes me feel all warm & cozy inside- perfect for fall!  A quick google search of "butterscotch no bake cookies" and found this: Pudding No-Bake Oatmeal Cookies.  Read the reviews & made as the recipe below...and titled them No-Bake Butterscotch Balls.

No-Bake Butterscotch Balls

Ingredients:
-1 1/2 c white sugar
-3/4 c butter
-1 (5oz) can evaporated milk
-1 (3.4) oz box instant butterscotch pudding mix
-3 1/2- 4 cups rolled oats
-1 cup butterscotch chips
-Milk chocolate chips, to melt & drizzle over tops, if you just  need a little chocolate like I do!

Directions:
-Add butter, milk, and sugar to pot on stove at medium-high heat.  Stir until butter is melted, and continue stirring frequently until it is at a bubbling boil (may have to adjust heat some).

Let boil undisturbed for 20 seconds.  Remove from heat, stir in pudding mix & oats.  Let cool for a few minutes, if mixture is still quite soup-y, add a little more oats.

Mixture will start to set & thicken as it cools.  As it cools, stir in butterscotch chips- yes, they will likely melt but that adds to the butterscotch flavor & in my mind helped it thicken.  While this mix is cooling a little- place wax paper over a cookie sheet.  Drop by tablespoonfuls (I used an ice cream scoop) onto wax paper...let cool.  They will solidify, promise! (15 minutes or so).

If desired, melt a little milk chocolate & drizzle over the tops.  I drizzled chocolate over half of the butterscotch balls & left half plain. Yum! Store in airtight container...after a few days they may start to get kind of soggy.

'tis all you need!

melted butter...milk...sugar, coming to a "bubbly boil"

the butterscotch mixture smells GREAT!

mmm butterscotch chips too!

using my ice cream scoop!

with a chocolate drizzle...I'm aware these don't look pretty & perfect!

and there you have it! No-Bake Butterscotch Balls

Now to experiment with the recipe...adding different flavors.  Like...coconut cream pudding w/ coconut flakes.  Or maybe devil's food pudding mix with chocolate chunks? Or...vanilla yogurt w/ maybe cake mix batter mixed in too?!?! ooo...I gotta get back to the kitchen!

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