Aunt Karen's Potato Chip Cookies

Golden, buttery, and deliciously crisp, these Potato Chip Cookies are made from a family recipe that has been passed down from my aunt!

If you've been following along for a while, you may have heard me talk about the family recipe book that was given to me by my older sister as a wedding gift.  She collected two recipes each from close family members and compiled them into a book with everyone's personal recipe favorites.  So, so awesome, right?

I've shared lots of recipes from my family on the blog, like my sister Kari's Simple Stuffed Peppers, my Momma's Baked Macaroni & Cheese, and my great-Aunt Betty Lou's Best Ever Sticky Buns.  Family recipes are the best.  <3

There's something special about sharing recipes that have been made by family members again and again, enough to be passed down through the years.  I have so many more good ones from the book that I'm looking forward to sharing in the future, so stay tuned!

This recipe for Potato Chip Cookies comes from my Aunt Karen, who is my mom's oldest brother's wife.  When I first read it in my recipe book, I wasn't sure what to make of it because, chips and cookies, you know?  Will it be...odd with the potato chips in there?

I am a huge potato chip fan, so I figured there must be something to it.  Especially if Aunt Karen chose to include these cookies as one of her two recipes for my book!

It actually makes perfect sense when you think about it.  The crushed potato chips give the cookies a flaky, kind of crumbly texture and the saltiness from the chips takes the place of the salt you would normally add to cookies.

There are some chopped pecans in there, too, which makes this cookie kind of like a pecan sandie.  Love!

If that's your thing, too, you'll love these little golden beauties!  I can picture them perfectly alongside a cup of tea or coffee and even as a late night vanilla ice cream accompaniment.

If you like a thicker cookie, you can pile the cookie dough into a little ball before baking, and if you like a thinner, crispy cookie, you can flatten the dough before baking.  Absolutely perfect either way!  It's actually a tie in our family as to which way is better.  I suggest trying both!

Still hungry?  How about a look back at what was on the blog around this time:
One Year Ago: Bacon & White Cheddar Mac & Cheese
Two Years Ago: Goat Cheese Scrambled Eggs with Blistered Tomatoes
Three Years Ago: Roast Lemon Chicken with Garlic & Herbs

Aunt Karen's Potato Chip Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 lb butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tsps vanilla extract
• 3 cups flour
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 cup crushed potato chips

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Cream the butter, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy.  Gradually add the flour a little at a time, followed by the pecans and the potato chips.  Mix well.
3. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto the parchment-lined baking sheet.  Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned.

Notes

• To crush potato chips- Put them in a ziploc bag, let the air out, and use a rolling pin to crush.
• The cookies will be fragile right out of the oven, so be careful!
• The cookies will not spread when baking.  If you spoon the cookies onto your baking sheet in a ball, they will stay in a ball shape and will be a little soft in the center.  If you flatten the cookies before baking, they will be crispy throughout.  Either way, the cook time is the same and they're both delicious!  It's just a matter of preference.