What is pet milk, I have never heard of this before? Can someone elaborate, please.

Hi Sarah,

When this recipe asks for Pet milk, it means evaporated milk. Hope this helps,

-- CM

Pet milk is evaporated milk.

Pet milk is a brand of canned evaporated milk. Any will do but pet tastes best.

Sarah asked "what is pet milk" - PET is a brand name for one of the evaporated milks that is out there.

Aldi's canned milk is the best I've ever used.

Pet milk is a name brand of evaporated milk. Just like Carnation milk.

Exact same recipe we use, but 5 minutes!! I think it's a bit long to boil them. Don't they end up hard and crumbly? 1 minute makes them perfect. Hmm we usually put the vanilla in last with the peanut butter and oatmeal so it doesn't burn. Interesting.

This recipe is great!

Evelyn, I usually do it a bit longer than the recipes says, about 8 minutes. And it turns out good, With one minute the butter hasn't even melted, at least for me.

Also, If your add 2 1/2 sticks of butter instead of 1 stick it tastes like fudge, but you have to put in the freezer because it takes a long time to harden.

Evelyn, I boiled my cookies for 1 min., they were mush, 5 min. is just perfect.

Cook the longer time for old fashioned oats, and the one minute for quick cooking oats. If you do the opposite they will crumble or never set.

The cooking time depends on the humidity in your kitchen. I know these never work for me on a rainy day... and that is when I want to make them!

When I make these I only let them cook for 1 minute once they start boiling. Up until then it pretty much just melts everything down. I don't even add peanut butter though... my son is allergic. Wonderful cookies!

Turned out great, I added a little more PB than it asked for and they still turned out wonderful! Thanks

My cookies, for some reason, never seem to sit. What is it that I may be doing wrong?

Does the recipe work if I add nuts - maybe 1/2 cup chopped pecans? Thank you all! Diane in East TN

Hi Diane,

Adding nuts should will be a nice variation as well as adding to the nutritional value!

-- CM

Delicious cookies!! Thanks for sharing this simple, rainy day recipe for a mom home with 2 sick kids. God Bless You!

My mother made these for me and my 7 brothers and sisters growing up in the 50's -- she always added coconut.

Do NOT USE "old fashioned" Quaker oats; use the "quick" Quaker oats (or whatever brand).

Quaker Oats Old Fashioned is fine. We used them and the cookies were awesome!

I always just use regular milk and they work good - you don't have to use evaporated milk. Also I have always added the vanilla at the end with the PB and quick oats. My family loves these cookies and they're so easy.

If you fix these on a day the humidity in high it will take them a lot longer to set.

A real must, as I live most of my life in India, and the biscuits here aren't the best in the world! Also I have only rings to cook on, no oven. Thank-you so much for the recipe.

I am in my 60's and grew up on these cookies. I boil the milk and sugar and butter for exactly three minutes. I have prepared my counter with butter and quickly spoon them out. Also, I use two cups of oats and one cup of coconut. Never tried them with peanut butter. I guess that is a mutant after the decades.

I'm also in my 60s and have always had these made with peanut butter. In 1960, my mother was having a baby and we spent a lot of time playing at a neighbor's house where I had these for the first time. This is pretty much the same recipe they gave Mama way back then, except ours calls for 3-4 tbsp of cocoa, adding the vanilla with the peanut butter and oats after cooking at a full, rolling boil for only 2 minutes. Also, for the person who said the butter wasn't melted after boiling for one minute, you start out on low heat and when the butter is completely melted and the cocoa, sugar, and milk are completely mixed in, then you bring it to a boil, stirring constantly and adjusting heat as necessary. You begin counting the 2 minutes when it is at a full, rolling boil and have to stir constantly at every stage of cooking these.

For a little variety (and because I love dark chocolate) I used a little more than a half cup of dark chocolate morsels (baking chips) AND 3/4 cup shredded coconut. I backed off the sugar by using just 1-1/4 cup sugar. Oh, and lastly I used the chunky peanut butter. The cookies are quite yummy, thanks for the recipe.