Potato-Chip Cookies
Photo Credit : Michael PiazzaIn one poignant example of how threads of history make their way into recipes, we have this May 1970 gem that begins, “Talk to anyone about the situation in Southeast Asia and chances are he or she will mention ‘Oh yes, my son (husband–brother–boyfriend–uncle) is there now.’ And what to send him is the big question.” The piece goes on to discuss the best types of cookies to send overseas, ultimately recommending potato-chip cookies, which keep well and “taste like peanut butter.”
Intrigued by their period authenticity (the ’70s are, after all, when the term “junk food” was coined), we gave them a try and found that they were not only delicious but fun to serve with a “guess what’s in them?” quiz. They’re worth making at least once, both for their flavor and for the surprise factor.
Find more recipes for “Cookies Through the Decades.”
Yield:
about 4 dozen cookiesIngredients
2-1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light-brown sugar
2 large eggs
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 cups crushed potato chips, plus 2 cups more for rolling
3/4 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350° and position racks in the middle, with space in between. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Using a standing or hand-held mixer, cream the butter, sugar, and brown sugar in a large bowl until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat 1 minute.
In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder. Add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients and beat until combined. Add 1-1/2 cups crushed potato chips and the nuts and stir to combine.
Fill a medium-size bowl with the remaining 2 cups of potato chips. Portion and roll the dough into 1-1/2-inch balls, and roll each in the chips to coat. Arrange 2 inches apart on the prepared sheets, and bake until just barely golden on the bottom (they won’t brown much), 12 minutes. Rotate pans halfway through. Remove cookies from the oven and cool on wire racks.
Amy Traverso
Amy Traverso is the senior food editor at Yankee magazine and co-host of the public television series Weekends with Yankee, a coproduction with WGBH. Previously, she was food editor at Boston magazine and an associate food editor at Sunset magazine. Her work has also been published in The Boston Globe, Saveur, and Travel & Leisure, and she has appeared on Hallmark Home & Family, The Martha Stewart Show, Throwdown with Bobby Flay, and Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares. Amy is the author of The Apple Lover’s Cookbook, which was a finalist for the Julia Child Award for best first-time author and won an IACP Cookbook Award in the “American” category.
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