Potato Chip Cookies

This homemade cookie recipe comes to us from by Mom's friend Dotty.

When our request for favorite family recipes went out, she was one of the first to respond with her Potato Chip Cookie Recipe, which she says she "Got from her cousin a few years ago and usually makes at Christmas time."

I've seen recipes for potato chip cookies before, but had never made or tasted them before getting Dotty's homemade recipe.

A little more research in my favorite cookbooks and on the internet turned up several variations of this sweet, and salty simple shortbread cookie that is enhanced with chopped nuts and crushed potato chips.

Most of the recipes I found specify using pecans, and since Dotty doesn't specify, I opted for macadamia nuts in the batch I made to keep them "Mac friendly." I am sure either pecans or walnuts would work deliciously too.

Many of the potato chip cookie recipes I found direct you to press the balls of cookie dough with a heavy-bottomed glass dipped in sugar on the cookie sheet before baking them.

Instead, Dotty's recipe directs you to flatten the balls of dough slightly with the back of a fork and to sprinkle them with confectioner's sugar while still warm. I tried a few both ways and think I like Dotty's way best!

This is a recipe where you absolutely want to use real butter, not margarine! In such a simple recipe with so few ingredients, the flavor you get with butter is really important.

Dotty's Potato Chip Cookies

Remember, for best results bake your cookies one baking sheet at a time in the center of your oven and wait until your cookie sheets are cool before putting cookie dough on them to prevent excessive spreading.

Dotty's Potato Chip Cookies Recipe

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1/2 cup crushed potato chips
Confectioner's sugar for sprinkling on baked cookies

Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. For best results line your baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners. Alternatively, you should use ungreased baking sheets.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
Add the chopped nuts and crushed potato chips and stir well, making sure everything is well combined.
Add the flour and stir just until combined.
Roll the mixture into small (1-inch) balls, and place on baking sheets about 2 inches apart.
Press the balls of dough with the back of a fork to flatten slightly. (If the fork sticks, try pressing the fork into a small amount of sugar and then pressing into the cookie dough.)
Bake the cookies until light golden brown, about 13 to 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to set on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Sprinkle the cookies with a dusting of confectioner's sugar while still warm.

This recipe makes about 3 1/2 dozen Dotty's Potato Chip Cookies.

Potato Chip Butterscotch Cookies
Another easy recipe variation on sweet and salty cookies using crushed potato chips along with butterscotch chips.

Potato Chip Butterscotch Cookies

Potato Chip Butterscotch Cookie Recipe

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups crushed potato chips
1 cup butterscotch chips

Preheat oven to 375F degrees. Line your baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners, or use ungreased baking sheets.
In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
Beat in eggs.
In a medium bowl, stir together flour and baking soda.
Gradually add dry flour mixture to creamed mixture and mix well.
Stir in potato chips along with butterscotch chips.
Drop dough by tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto prepared baking sheets.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove from oven and cool for 1 minute before transferring cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

This recipe makes about 4 dozen Potato Chip Butterscotch Cookies.