Nan’s Potato Chip Cookies

Happy New Year!  Did you all have a fantastic holiday?? I hope so!  I’ve been hearing a lot about resolutions this week, and while that’s the norm, January 1st is something totally different for me.  January 1st was my nan’s birthday, and she was a big influence on me in the kitchen.  Today I would like to share with all of you the last recipe she passed on to me.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve looked at her potato chip cookie recipe, but didn’t try it till this week.  It’s just something I’ve kept tucked away in my recipe book, and I love looking at it.  It brings back so many wonderful memories I have of baking with nan.  We spent a lot of time in the kitchen baking lots of cakes and cookies.  She was quite the character, and loved chocolate so much that every time she ate a piece, she’d belt out a few notes of Fred Astaire’s cheek to cheek.  “Heaven, I’m in heaven” was always her line of choice!

Something just made me pull out the recipe the other day, and I thought it would be a really great way to celebrate nan.  It’s one of those no fuss recipes that just gets you back to the basics, and brings me back to why I love baking.  I was a bit skeptical at first of adding potato chips to cookie dough, but it works.  It works really well!  I followed her recipe to a tee, and they turned out awesome!  The sweet & salty is perfectly balanced, and the addition of pecans adds another nice punch of flavor.  Last night I dipped a few cookies in some dark chocolate glaze I had hanging out in the fridge.  That was a ridiculously good idea, and I think nan would definitely approve!  I love that a recipe is so much more than just a recipe, and I love that I get to pass this on to all of you 🙂

Cookies

• 2 sticks unsalted butter
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 1t. vanilla extract
• 1 & 1/2 cups AP flour
• 1/4t. salt
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 3/4 cup crushed potato chips, I used Lay’s potato chips

1. Cream butter & sugar till light and fluffy.
2. Add egg yolk & vanilla extract.
3. Mix in flour and salt till combined.
4. Stir in pecans & potato chips.
5. Bake time depends on the size of the cookies. If you make 1/2 ounce cookies, they bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.  If you make 2 ounce cookies, they bake at 350 degrees for approx. 15 minutes.  Remember to rotate once halfway through.