Potato Chip Chocolate Chip Cookies

I’ve finally found the recipe to a vegetable-infused chocolate chip cookie that actually tastes . . . hella awesome! Hello, Potato Chip Chocolate Chip Cookies. Sure this might still be a cookie totally absent of any health benefit. But let’s adult as adults do and stretch rationale, because I’m sure we can make a case for how kettle cooked potato chips definitely go towards our daily vegetable intake for the day.

Now with all the preamble out of the way, let’s do the drill down, because if you only make one cookie from the blog, make this one. All hyperbole aside, these are really amazing in flavor and texture. Read on for the details:

• Flavor ~ The perfect blend of sweet and salty. The potato chips aren’t pronounced, just subtle enough to give the cookies small caramelized-like flecks of sweet and salty bites with the slightest crunch.
• Texture ~ Crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. The secret ingredient: molasses. It keeps the cookie chewy for days, even if you burn them—which I did with two batches (and still ate them). Small aside, I love the taste of slightly burnt cookies, it has such a deep caramel flavor with a just a side of bitter. Which if you don’t know, I love bitter food. The brand I used is Grandma’s Unsulphured Original.
• The potato chips ~ Use a high quality brand like Kettle Brand. You want them on the thicker side so they keep their “smashed-up”  shape as you fold it into the dough. I used Kettle Brand’s Organic Sea Salt variety. To keep things simple, I gave them a quick crush in my hands until they were the size of oatmeal flakes, a few bigger ones won’t matter so don’t obsess.
• Chocolate ~ Use two kinds of chips.There is no wavering on this. Use a blend of  dark chocolate and semi sweet, it strikes the right balance so the chocolate doesn’t overwhelm the cookie portion. Once I nailed down the cookie formula, I tested a variety of chocolates. Here’s what I came up with: all dark chocolate overpowered the cookie, all semi-sweet was too sweet. A few runs later the winning combo became half  Valrhona’s Caraibe 66% and Nestle’s Mini chocolate chips. I love how the chocolate chips hold their shape while the chopped Valrhona chocolate spreads and pools.
• Vanilla extract – Forget it. You don’t need it. In fact, after testing the recipe with and without it, I prefer it without the vanilla. A tip I picked up from Thomas Keller. I also used his method for beating cold butter—no softened butter or melted butter? I was skeptical too but it works.
• Baking ~ This should go without saying, but I’m going to reiterate it, make sure you have an oven thermometer to get an accurate read. Case and point, I set my oven temperature at 335 F for 350F  temperature. I know not everyone’s oven is as far off as mine, but even a few degrees can make a difference. In fact I have two, one on each side, that’s how I know the right side of my oven runs 5 degrees higher than the left side. While some things are not as temperature sensitive, baking – especially cookies and cakes, definitely are. So make the $6.95 investment. Here’s the one I use and love (NO affiliate link).

And by all means, when you do make this, please come back and let the rest of us know what you thought.  Love or hate any feedback, makes us all better bakers.

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Potato Chip Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yield: 28-30 three-inch cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, cold (NOTE: not softened or melted), cut into 1 tablespoon-size pieces
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup sugar + 2 tablespoons
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon unsulphured molasses
• 5 oz. Valrhona Caraibe 63% Dark Chocolate
• 5 oz. Nestle's Mini Chocolate Chips
• 1.5 oz  Kettle Brand Sea Salt potato chips

Directions:

Preparation: Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

In large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a stand mixer bowl, fitted with a paddle attachment at medium-high speed, beat butter until smooth, about 2 - 3 minutes. Add both sugars and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scraped down the bowl and add the egg, beat until well combined. Next add the molasses and beat until well combined. Scrape down the bowl and add the flour mixture all at once and beat on low until just combined. Fold in both chocolates and potato chips.

Use a 2 tablespoon capacity cookie dough scoop, or alternately, use 2 leveled tablespoons and form dough into balls. Place dough balls on baking sheet 2-inches apart. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown. (Don't worry about undercooking them to keep them chewy, they will be chewy anyways with the molasses). Half way through, switch the pans top to bottom and front to back. Remove from oven and transfer baking sheet to a wire rack to cool for 1-2 minutes before removing cookies to a rack to cool.