Nanny's Summertime Squares

Sharing recipes makes you immortal. Every time your recipe is passed on, people say your name. People who never met you know who you are. It's one of the most powerful things about food.

A Canadian pal of mine has a special fondness for these bars, which her Nanny used to make. It took a while for her to get hold of the recipe, but now she has given me permission to share it. They are fudgey and gooey and quite delicious. And oatmeal, so it's clearly health-food.

Nanny's Summertime Squares (makes... depends on the size of the square and the pan. I cut it into 16 pretty substantial bars)

2 cups sugar (Nanny specified white, I used golden caster)
3tbs cocoa
115g butter (Nanny used 1/4lb margarine)
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup peanut butter
1tsp vanilla
3 cups instant oatmeal

Put the first four ingredients in a saucepan, bring to a boil and boil for a minute. Stir in the peanut butter and vanilla, and mix until the peanut butter melts, then remove from heat and stir in the oatmeal. Mix well and scrape into a tin lined with baking parchment. Chill to set and cut into squares.