When it’s hot enough for the weather service to issue a heat advisory warning, it seems like a good time to leave the oven off and try a no-bake variety of cookie recipe.

This one comes from my mom’s recipe box and had no label, just a list of ingredients and brief instructions hand-written on a sheet of Brintlinger Funeral Agency stationery to identify it as some type of recipe, which is why I’m dubbing it a UFO for “Unidentified Funereal Object.” I can only imagine that someone brought a plate of these cookies to a funeral potluck and they were so good that my mom had to ask for the recipe and never make them.

These may be the most chocolatey way to say “I’m sorry for your loss, but not your nut allergy.” Or, you could phase out the nuts, or the coconut (as a lot of people don’t like those either), and maybe raisins (the only ingredient my mom’s recipe considered optional). Maybe swap in something people do like. I’d tell you what that is, but I’m a poor judge of these things.

One batch makes about 36 golf-ball-sized cookies if you use a 1.5-inch scoop instead of the 2-inch scoop I started with.

2 c. sugar
1/2 c. milk
1 stick (8 tbsp.) butter
1/2 c. cocoa
3 c. rolled oats
1/2 c. nuts (optional)
1/2 c. coconut flakes (optional)
1/2 c. raisins (optional)

Add the sugar, milk, butter, and cocoa to a saucepan and bring to a rolling boil. Remove from heat.

Add the oats, nuts, coconut, and raisins and stir together.

Acting quickly before the mess hardens, drop onto parchment or wax paper with a spoon or a 1.5″ scoop. You could probably smooth out the jagged edges a bit with your finger, but why would you? Death leaves jagged holes in us all.

Wait at least 30 minutes or so for these to cool and harden before packing them up for the potluck.