Potato Chips Add A Salty Kick To Cookies
According to a Mashed survey from June 2023, chocolate chip is the best cookie, with 57% of those surveyed choosing the classic combination. Our obsession with chips in baked goods has created a world of mix-in options. Along with classic dark and white chocolate chips, there are more varieties of chips for baking than ever before, such as butterscotch chips, caramel chips, and even peppermint chips for the holidays. But have you ever considered stirring potato chips into your cookie dough?
Cookies and potato chips are more commonly seen as separate choices to complete a lunchtime meal, but combining them in one dish goes back at least as far as 1976 when Woman's Day published a recipe for these salty-sweet baked treats in their November issue. Long-time Baltimore natives also have a soft spot for spuds in their sweet baked goods, thanks to happy memories of eating the potato chip cookies from the bakery section of long-closed local department store chain Hutzler's. But even with decades of history behind them, potato chip cookies still sound quite unconventional to some. Are they actually good or a sweet-savory gimmick?
Why you should add potato chips to cookies
Adding saltiness to your sweet baked goods may seem strange to the uninitiated, but to experienced bakers, it's non-negotiable. Adding a pinch of salt can add enough savoriness to balance out a sweet batter. When used sparingly, salt reduces bitter flavors while accentuating sweet, sour, and umami notes. This is a particularly appealing property to add to a chocolate dessert since dark chocolate chips or Dutch-process cocoa can taste a little bitter. With an appropriate amount of salt added, the bitterness disappears for a much richer, more well-rounded chocolate experience without diluting it using dairy.
Adding potato chips to cookies gives them an extra salty kick. However, sprinkling some fleur de sel on top would have the same effect. However, the extra spark that potato chips add is their unique texture. The chips that poke out of the top and sides of the cookie will bake into shards that will stay crunchy for a while. For maximum crispness, they are best enjoyed fresh, as they will gradually soften over time. However, the potato chips that don't poke out will cook into the batter and give the center of the cookie a lasting and delicate chewiness that contrasts delightfully with the robust crunch of the cookie's outside.