Potato Chip Cookies

Several weeks ago, during a conversation with friends, someone mentioned how much she like Potato Chip Cookies. I think I've been under a rock for a while because I'd never heard of them. Intrigued by the flavor combination, I asked my friend for the recipe and when she gave it to me early last week I was anxious to make a batch. I posted my planned baking experiment on Facebook and my daughter-in-law responded that she made some Potato Chip Cookies the week before and they were delicious. I was encouraged.

However, the ratio and the ingredients in the recipe I was given seemed a little odd; equal parts sugar and flour and a cup of oil. I don't think I'd ever made a cookie with oil. Butter or margarine, yes, but not oil and I thought it might make the dough a little greasy. But I persevered.

Once mixed together, the dough was something between a cookie dough and a cake batter. I let the dough sit as instructed in the recipe, but it didn't help. In addition, the dough WAS greasy and it started to spread a little even as I dropped the cookies on the baking sheet and when they were done and I took them out of the oven, they had spread out so much that it was almost one solid mass. I had to cut most of them apart from each other with the spatula as I lifted them from the baking sheet to a wire rack covered with paper towels. And when I lifted them off the rack to a plate after they had cooled, the paper towel was soaked with oil. Ick. This is what they looked like when they were done...


The cookies tasted greasy, too, and they had an off flavor, sort of like sweet, salty, oily flour. Epic fail.

I hit the web looking for photos of Potato Chip Cookies and none of them looked like mine. None of the photos looked like the cookies I just pulled from the oven, and none of the recipes called for oil instead of butter or margarine. Besides, my daughter-in-law has a really good palate and she wouldn't like a cookie that tasted as bad as mine. So, I pulled about a half a dozen recipes off the web and combined the best parts of them and finally produced a delicious cookie. And they even received rave reviews from the girls next door, ages 8 to 15. This is what they raved about...


Sweet, salty, nutty, buttery, tender, delicious. Exactly what I initially thought they'd taste like.

I used two sticks of butter and only 1/2 cup of sugar and beat them together until they were light and fluffy, then mixed in some vanilla, just a touch of salt, some chopped pecans, potato chips and flour and mixed everything together until it was combined. I used a small ice cream scoop that holds about a tablespoon of cookie dough, rolled each scoop into a ball and rolled each ball into more crushed potato chips before I put them on my baking sheet (I use a SilPat, but you can use a baking sheet lightly prepared with cooking spray) about 1½-inches apart. I used a flat metal spatula to slightly flatten the balls of cookie dough, then sprinkled them lightly with sugar (but next time I will use turbinado sugar instead plain granulated sugar because the granules are bigger and hold up really well during baking) and they were ready to go into a 350° oven.


Most recipes called for baking times of 15 to 18 minutes. My cookies took 17 minutes. They were perfect, just a little golden around the edges.


I have shredded the nasty, oily recipe and will use this one from now on.

Potato Chip Cookies

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter at room temperature (if you use salted butter, omit the 1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt)
• ½ cup, plus 2 tablespoons sugar (the 2 tablespoons is for sprinkling on the cookies before baking)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ cup chopped pecans
• 2 cups finely crushed potato chips (1½ cups for the cookie dough and ½ cup for rolling)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare two baking sheets by lining with a SilPat, parchment paper or spraying lightly with cooking spray.

Crush the potato chips in a plastic bag using a rolling pin until they are fairly fine crumbs to measure 2 cups. Reserve ½ cup on a small plate and set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and ½ cup sugar until it's light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla and kosher salt (if using unsalted butter). Mix in the pecans, 1½ cups crushed potato chips and flour until just combined.

Put the 2 tablespoons of sugar in a small dish and set aside with the reserved crushed potato chips.

Using a tablespoon or small 1½-inch ice cream scoop to measure out the dough, roll each spoonful into a ball then roll in the crushed potato chips. Place onto your prepared baking sheet about 1½-inches apart and flatten slightly with a flat metal spatula. Using your fingers, sprinkle the tops of the cookies lightly with sugar.

Bake about 15 to 18 minutes until the edges are lightly golden brown. When done, transfer to a wire rack to cool. Makes 26 to 30 cookies, depending on size.

Spicy Mexican Chocolate Cookies

Over a year ago, Tom and I went out to dinner with a few members of his family. As most folks sat eating their desserts, my nephew's wife pulled a chocolate bar out of her purse, opened it up and asked if anyone wanted a piece.

"What kind is it?" I asked.

"Chocolate Chili," she said.

It was the first time I'd tasted sweet chocolate and heat together. I loved it.

Fast forward. I decided to try the combination in a chocolate cookie, attempting to emulate the flavors in Mexican hot chocolate, but with a little kick. I took my best chocolate cookie recipe, added cinnamon, vanilla extract, Ancho chili powder and cayenne. The result was a cookie that is chewy, sweet and chocolatey at first bite, but once it begins to melt in your mouth, the flavor of the Ancho chili emerges and you feel the heat of the cayenne. They were, in a word: delicious. They were so good, in fact, that I didn't really want to share them, but I had to or we would have eaten every single one of them.



Who would have thought a cookie would be unpopular? Not me.

Color me shocked when I took a bag of these cookies into the Clothes Closet where I volunteer and came home with a bag still full of cookies minus maybe half a dozen tops. The feedback was too spicy, except for the volunteer in his 80's who smacked his lips, held up his second cookie and said with a twinkle in his eye, "these are good!"

Well, Tom and I thought so too. We happily ate the remaining cookies!

I had toyed with the idea of using a chocolate cookie recipe and adding bacon, but I sort of already did that with the Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bacon Cookies. And I wasn't all that sure about adding bacon to something with such a delicate balance of spices, so this time I left out the bacon.

I know. I know. Some of you will chastise me for the omission. But trust me, you won't miss it.

If you must have bacon, fry up 3 or 4 pieces, drain them well, chop them up and add them at the same time you add the chocolate chips. I won't be offended.

Spicy Mexican Chocolate Cookies

• 1 cup, plus 2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon Ancho chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
• 1 - 12-ounce package semisweet chocolate chips 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

With a hand or stand mixer, cream the butter and sugars until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the vanilla and mix well.

In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, chili powder, cayenne and espresso powder. Make sure all ingredients are mixed well.

Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture a cup at a time, mixing gently on low speed after each addition until all the ingredients are just combined. Do not over mix. Use a silicone spatula to stir in the chocolate chips (and chopped bacon, if you are adding it).

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat. Drop nice rounded teaspoonfuls of dough on to the cookie sheet about 2-inches apart. I have a small 1-1/2-inch inexpensive ice cream scoop I use strictly for scooping cookie dough. It measures the dough perfectly and the cookies come out uniform.

Bake for 12 to 14-minutes. Cool on a wire rack covered with paper towels.

I dare you to eat just one.

Peanut Butter - Bacon - Chocolate Chip Cookies

Have I mentioned I have a freezer full of bacon I bought on sale? Nine pounds of it. Yeah, I think I have a time or two.

It's not that I want to use all of that bacon up quickly. It's merely that I'm now obsessed with everything bacon. Appetizers, like this recipe I found for Bacon Double Cheeseburger Dip that I've been wanting to try. The Bacon Vodka I made a while back.

The Roasted Potato Salad with Bacon and Blue Cheese that I made last summer.





Or that addicting Bacon Jam





But more than that, I've been completely fascinated with preparing pastries and other sweets containing bacon, which is how I came to make the Chocolate Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting & Bacon Streusel





So last week I made Peanut Butter~Bacon~Chocolate Chip Cookies. I mean, really. You cannot go wrong with peanut butter, bacon and chocolate chips.

When I took the bulk of the batch into Wesley Church where I volunteer in the Clothes Closet, I heard a lot of  Mmmmmmm's as folks passed by our door. One of our oldest volunteers, an 80-year old gentleman, peeked his head in the door of our room and said, with a big smile on his face, "Terri, these are good!"

Yes, they were good. They are so good that I had to get rid of them. I am ashamed to admit that I didn't share with my fellow volunteers because I'm a sweet, giving person. I had to get those cookies out of my house before Tom and I ate all of them!

You are going to start by cooking some bacon until it's crisp and reserving a little of the rendered bacon fat.





Then you'll mix the dry ingredients together and set aside while you beat up some softened butter, peanut butter, the reserved bacon grease, sugar, egg and vanilla extract. Then you'll add the flour, chopped up bacon and some mini-chocolate chips and that's it.

I thought if I baked the cookies just as they came out of the scoop, they'd flatten while baking. That didn't happen. When I started like this...





They came out like this....





Round little morsels. But I wanted more of a "cookie" form, so with the second tray I decided to smoosh them down a little before I baked them...





And you can see the difference...





But you can make which ever way you think you would prefer.

Peanut Butter, Bacon, Chocolate Chip Cookies
Adapted from The Endless Meal

• 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 strips bacon, preferably thick cut
• 2 tablespoons rendered bacon fat, reserved from cooking bacon
• 4 tablespoons butter or margarine, room temperature
• 1/2 cup peanut butter, creamy or crunchy
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup packed dark or light brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook the bacon in a frying pan over medium to medium high heat until all of the bacon is crisp, turning frequently. Remove from the pan to a paper towel. Measure 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat into a small pinch bowl and set aside to cool.

In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Using a whisk, mix the ingredients together until completely combined. Set aside.

Roughly chop the bacon pieces and set aside.

In a medium sized bowl, beat the butter or margarine with the reserved bacon fat until the mixture is smooth, about a minute. Add the peanut butter and beat until smooth, about another minute. Beat in both sugars until light and creamy, about 4 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 more minutes.

Add half of the flour mixture and beat until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the remaining flour mixture and mix until just combined.

Using a spoon or rubber spatula, mix in the bacon and chocolate chips.

Form the dough into 1-inch balls (I use a 1-inch ice cream scoop for this) and place on an ungreased baking sheet about 2-inches apart. If you prefer a flatter cookie, press down gently on the dough with your fingers to slightly flatten the cookie ball.

Bake in the preheated oven for 8 minutes for chewy cookies, or 10 - 12 minutes for crispier cookies.

Let the cookies cool about 2 minutes before removing from baking sheets. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

So what's up next? I'm thinking Maple Bacon Baklava. Stay tuned....

Feast Your Eyes

This morning while I was reading online newspapers, I came across a headline on MSNBC.com titled "Feast Your Eyes: Photos of Your Homemade Dishes." Since I am a sucker for food porn, I clicked the link.

As I scrolled through...and drooled...I came across an open invitation for anyone to submit their own photos of homemade goodies. So, I did it. I stuck my neck out and submitted 6 photos for a feature on TODAY.com called Feast Your Eyes.

These are the six photos I submitted:

Carnitas Enchiladas and Mango-Jicama Slaw
Enchiladas stuffed with spicy slow roasted pork and cheese, topped with a sour cream green chili enchilada sauce and a side of spicy sweet slaw


S'more Chocolate Chip Cookies
Served with Vanilla Ice Cream and Chocolate Syrup Drizzle


Linguini with Chorizo, Shrimp, Clams and Calamari
Selected as Editor's Pick on Food52.com in the Your Best Seafood Pasta Recipe category


Seafood Risotto
Risotto with Peas and Shrimp infused with a Seafood Broth


Ricotta Bruschetta
Homemade ricotta cheese spread on a crostini and topped with fresh chopped tomatoes and basil drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar


Caprese Skewers
This is my most 'pinned' photograph ever on Pinterest

Wouldn't it be awesome if one of them was selected as a featured photo? Well, yeah.

Okay, back to painting Adirondack chairs...

Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie 'n' Oreo 'n' Fudge Brownie Bar

I'm not a dessert person. I know you can't tell from my blog posts because I post so many of them, but they're not for me. I'm happy with a bite or two or maybe nothing at all after a good meal. But Tom, my sons, daughters-in-law, grandchildren, other family members, friends and guests...that's another story. They all have their favorites and I aim to please.

When I saw this dessert at Kevin and Amanda's, I knew I'd have to bake it.

Now the photo isn't as pretty as theirs, but I think you get the overall idea: THIS IS GOOD!

Look at that. A layer of chocolate chip cookie, topped with a layer of double-stuffed Oreos, topped with a layer of soft, fudgey brownie. I took the recipe one step further by adding a cup of peanut butter chips to the brownie batter. Top it with a scoop of ice cream and a little warm caramel and it's as good as any dessert you'd get anywhere in town.

How good is it? The day I baked it, Tom looked at the pan and said, "Get most of that out of here or I will eat the whole thing by myself." So, I cut a nice big piece off, leaving about a third of it for us, put the larger piece in a pan and Tom took it to our next door neighbor who has three growing girls. A couple of days later, my neighbor brought back the clean pan with two handmade thank you cards. This is how much my 11-year old neighbor loved this dessert (I've erased her name to protect the innocent):



You just can't get a better endorsement than "It fell from heaven."

Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie 'n' Oreo 'n' Fudge Brownie Bar
Adapted from Kevin and Amanda
PRINTABLE RECIPE

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups (12-oz package) of chocolate chips
• 1 package Double Stuf Oreos
• 1 package family size (for a 9X13 pan) Chocolate Fudge Brownie Mix (I used Duncan Hines)
• 1/4 cup hot fudge topping (this goes into the brownie batter)
• plus you will need the ingredients called for in the brownie mix: eggs, water and oil
• 1 cup peanut butter chips (this is my addition)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Line a 9-inch X 13-inch pan with parchment paper, making sure the paper goes all the way up the sides, folding in the corners of the pan so that it lays flat against the sides. Spray generously with cooking spray.

Cream the butter and both sugars together in a large bowl for 3 to 5 minutes at medium speed with with an electric mixer until the mixture is light fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until thoroughly combined. Set aside.

In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.

Turn the mixer back on to low and slowly incorporate the flour mixture into the butter mixture until the flour is just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. Spread the cookie dough evenly in the bottom of the prepared pan.

Top the cookie dough with a layer of Oreos.

Make the brownie mix according to package directions, adding in the hot fudge topping and peanut butter chips. Mix well to combine. Pour the brownie batter over the Oreos and cookie dough. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 45 to 55 minutes.

Note: The parchment paper makes it easy to remove the entire bar from the pan in one piece for easy service. And, of course, you may not want to double up on the bars as I did in the photo. A single brownie bar with a scoop of ice cream and some caramel sauce or chocolate sauce, though not as spectacular looking, is just as satisfying...

How Could I Have Forgotten??

Three years ago today I started blogging about food! I didn't even realize that today was my 3rd Blogoversary until Teena in Toronto left a "Happy Blogoversary! :)" comment on my last post. Thank you, Teena!!

I haven't been a regular food blogger of late. I've been very preoccupied with our financial situation here at home, what with the bad economy which has finally hit our area (central Arkansas) the past few months. Right now we are keeping our heads above water, but just barely.

Anyway, what better way to celebrate a momentous occasion than with a giant cookie!!

When I saw these Giant S'mores Chocolate Chip Cookies made by Jenny @ Picky Palate, I knew I HAD to make them. If you haven't ever visited Picky Palate, I encourage you to do so. That woman makes some of the most seriously decadent desserts and goodies I've ever seen! And these cookies were just as good as they look.

When I visited my oldest son and his family last March, I wanted to bake some cookies with my granddaughters, Lily and Zoey, but we were so busy enjoying playgrounds, rollerskating and having fun just being together, cookie baking was pretty low on the priority list. So since we didn't have time to bake cookies together, I sent them some of these. I think they were a hit, don't you?



If you've never used a muffin top pan to bake giant cookies, this is a great recipe for a first try. I've seen muffin top pans all over the internet, from Amazon.com to Cooking.com, but I picked mine up at our local T.J.Maxx for $5 bucks. When I made these, I wished I had purchased two. It would have made the process faster, but one worked fine even if it did take a little longer. It was worth it.

When it came to taking photos, I started with the obligatory close-up...



Then after dinner when we were ready for dessert, Tom suggested we have them with some ice cream (low-fat, no-sugar), so I started to plate the first one and take the photograph before the ice cream melted....



Just as I finished snapping the photo, Tom asked, "How about this?

On the counter behind me, Tom had also been plating cookies and ice cream, but in his own ever-creative manner....





Oh, yes. His plated version included not one, but TWO cookies AND a drizzle of chocolate syrup. And his version tasted way, way better than mine. And the next day the rest of the cookies were packed in a box and sent west to California in order to save us from ourselves.

PRINT RECIPE: Giant S'mores Chocolate Chip Cookies

Giant S'mores Chocolate Chip Cookies
Adapted from the recipe posted by Jenny @ Picky Palate

2 sticks softened butter
1 Cup packed light brown sugar (I used dark brown and it worked fine)
3/4 Cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 Tablespoon pure vanilla
4 Cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 Cups chocolate chips
3 regular size Hershey’s chocolate bars
3 whole graham crackers
5-6 large marshmallows cut into quarters

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place butter and sugars into a stand or electric mixer; beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla until well combined.

Place flour, salt and baking soda into a separate large bowl and mix the ingredients together.

With the mixer on slow speed, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, then add the chocolate chips. Mix until just combined.

Scoop a heaping 1/4 Cup of cookie dough into muffin top pan cups (I used an ice cream scoop). Press the dough gently into the cups, then gently press chocolate bar squares, graham cracker pieces and marshmallow slices on top of cookie dough.

Bake for 11-13 minutes or until edges are just turning brown. Let cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan.

Makes 18 LARGE cookies from the muffin top pan.

**Note from Jenny: This recipe may also be done without the muffin top pan. Just flatten out your cookie dough slightly onto a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet and press your s’mores toppings over the dough**

Are You Sure It's Not Friday???

It sure feels like Friday. Or maybe it feels like it should be Friday. I've packed a lot into three days and I'm ready for the weekend.

I came down with a little stomach thing yesterday and it's hanging around today, too. It don't feel really, really sick, but it's enough to dehydrate me and make me very tired. But I had to get my grandson's birthday card and a box of homemade cookies from Grandma in the mail. Jacob will turn 17 on Friday.

It is these times that I miss my grandkids the very most. Today's post by Debbie @ The Friday Friends is about an overnight visit with her grandson. It really made me smile, but a felt a little twinge. All of my grandchildren live too far away for impromptu visits like that. With both sons living on opposite coasts, Tom and I miss soccer games, school plays, Grandparents day, sleep-overs and just cuddling under the quilt watching a movie I'd never think of renting if they weren't cuddled up next to me.

So I started baking cookies and sending them. It's a way to insert myself into their lives and give them something from my heart.

I baked these cookies for Jacob, as well as my oldest grandson Zak, whose birthday was last month.

I found the recipe posted by Kate @ Cooking During Stolen Moments.

Peanut Butter M & M Cookies
Adapted from Kate @ Cooking During Stolen Moments

• 1/2 cup butter or margarine
• 3/4 cup peanut butter (smooth or chunky, whatever is your preference)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar (I've used light and dark with equally good results)
• 1/2 cup regular granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1-1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup M & M’s (I use the mini-M & M's)

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium sized mixing bowl, beat together the butter, peanut butter and sugars until creamy and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until well combined.
3. Add the flour and baking soda and beat just until combined, being careful not to over mix. By hand, stir in the M & M’s.

4. 4. Using a rounded tablespoonful of dough (I used a small, 1-inch diameter ice cream scoop so all of the cookies are the same size), drop balls of dough onto cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes. (15 minutes for softer cookies; 18 minutes for crunchier cookies.)

Makes about 34 cookies.

Oreo Cream Cheesecake Cupcakes....Ooooo Baby!

I knew the weather was going to be bad. The meteorologists had been predicting it for days. First sleet, then ice pellets (which I think are still technically considered sleet), then snow. So I went shopping Wednesday morning and picked up the Oreos to make these little babies.

I found these delights at Dishin' and Dishes. Katie adapted the recipe from the book, Martha Stewart's Cupcakes.

The base of the individual cheesecake is a whole Oreo cookie and the cheesecake mixture is punctuated with Oreo cookie pieces. The only change I made to this recipe was drizzling a little chocolate glaze on the top of each cupcake, the method for which I will add at the end.



Oreo Cream Cheesecake Cupcakes
by Terri Powers for Terri's Table
Adapted from Katie Johnstonbaugh of Dishin- & Dishes from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes

Makes 30 cupcakes.

For the Cupcakes:

• 42 Oreo cookies. Leave 30 cookies whole and coarsely chop 12 cookies. One bag of Oreos is enough.
• 4 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese (I used "1/3 less fat")
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup sour cream (I used "lite" sour cream)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

For the Chocolate Glaze:

• 2 (1 ounce) squares semi-sweet chocolate
• 2 tablespoons butter

Preheat oven to 275°.

Line 30 muffin tins with paper liners. Place one Oreo cookie in the bottom of each cup.

Beat the cream cheese on medium-high speed until smooth. Gradually add sugar and beat one minute. Beat in vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in sour cream and salt. Turn mixer to low and mix in chopped cookies just until incorporated.

Spoon the cheese mixture on top of the whole cookie and fill each muffin cup almost to the top.

Bake about 22 minutes (mine took about 7 minutes longer). The filling should be set.

Remove from oven and refrigerate the cupcakes still in the tins for 4 hours.

To Make The Glaze: Put the chocolate and butter in a small glass bowl and microwave on high for 30 seconds at a time for about 2 minutes, until the butter and chocolate are melted enough to be combined. Drizzle the glaze on top of the cold cupcakes and return to the refrigerator to completely set.

To serve, remove the paper lining.

PRINT THE RECIPE HERE


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