Potato chip cookies

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 18/12/2013 (4660 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Adding potato chips to cookies might sound kooky, but they give crunch along with a hint of salty-sweet taste. That mix of salty and sweet is very trendy right now, but this is actually a traditional recipe, ideal for using up stale potato chips. I’ve received several versions of this cookie over the years. (Thanks to everyone who wrote in.) This recipe is from Marla Guest of Portage la Prairie, who calls her cookies “Isabels.”

Potato Chip Cookies (Isabels)

250 ml (1 cup) butter, softened
125 ml (1/2 cup) granulated sugar
5 ml (1 tsp) vanilla
500 ml (2 cups) all-purpose flour
125 ml (1/2 cup) crushed plain potato chips (not ripple, not flavoured)
125 ml (1/2 cup) pecans, chopped

Preheat oven to 175 C (350 F). In large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add vanilla. In another bowl, stir together flour, potato chips and pecans. Mix dry ingredients into butter-sugar mixture. Drop by spoonfuls onto greased cookies sheets and flatten with a glass dipped in sugar. Bake about 10-15 minutes, depending on size of cookies, or until lightly browned at edges. Cool on cookie sheets on racks for 5 minutes, then remove cookies to cool completely on racks. Baked cookies can be stored at room temperature or frozen in an airtight container. (Do not refrigerate or freeze unbaked dough, as potato chips will become soggy.)

Tester’s notes: These are like shortbread with a twist. If you are apprehensive about using potato chips, don’t worry: The chips add texture and a very subtle flavour. I decorated my batch with a drizzling of caramel sauce.