Add Potato Chips to the Next Batch of Cookie Dough
“How good does something have to be?” is a question my boyfriend asks a lot, usually after I’ve changed, improved, or otherwise messed up a classic recipe that didn’t “need” that modification. (As if he doesn’t understand what I do for a living!) I suspect this chocolate chip cookie with potato chips will make him ask this question … until he tastes them, that is.
Potato chips in cookies seem like a gimmick at first. The sweet and savory dish seems a little overdone – although it’s one of my favorite flavor combinations – but potato chips don’t just offer a meal moment on Instagram. They obviously have salt added, but it’s the starchy, delicately crunchy texture that makes them a real pleasure to use in biscuits. The salt balances the sweetness, and the texture of the chips subtly counterbalances the loose chew.
Lest you think this is Claire’s other bizarre affectation, know that many women (some of them grandmothers!) Have made pure potato chip cookies for generations – with no other additives. They are the star of the cookie, but you can use them in just about any drop-down cookie recipe that needs adding.
For example: If your chocolate chip cookie recipe calls for a cup of nuts (or even if it doesn’t), replace them with a cup of neatly chopped potato chips. In fact, I would replace them with at least 1 1/2, if not 2 cups of shredded potato chips as the thin and crispy potato chips lack the bulk of the pecans.
To make cookie chips, find out how many cups of crushed chips you want in the dough. (For a standard chocolate chip recipe, such as the one you find on a bag of chocolate chips, this is 1 1/2 to 2 cups.) Multiply that amount by two, then add that amount of whole chips to a large zippered bag and crush gently their. Measure out 1 1/2 to 2 cups of crushed chips – depending on how salty you want your sweet and savory cookie to be – and continue the recipe as usual.