Potato Chip Cookies

Cakers have a hard time making decisions, especially when it comes to their food. You can usually spot us in the grocery store aisles, looking like we’re at a tennis match. Are we in the mood for bologna or macaroni loaf? Does the recipe call for a can of crushed pineapple or a can of pineapple tidbits? And what the heck is all that green, leafy stuff?

So you can imagine how paralyzing it is when cakers are faced with the ultimate snack showdown: salty vs. sweet. Luckily, there are visionairies who walk among us (well, church women in Wisconsin, anyway) who single-handedly bridged that divide with a cookie that delivers a pinch of sweet followed by a slap of salt. Oh, and a little butter. As in two sticks. But if they ain't counting calories in Wisconsin, I suggest you don't bother, either.

When I taste-tested these cookies, the reaction was a bit mixed. Some people were puzzled. Why add potato chips to cookies, they wondered? But others who tried them – namely cakers – loved ‘em. It was one less decision they'd have to make that day.

½ cup sugar

2 sticks butter

½ cup crushed potato chips (See Note 1)

1 cup pecans

2 cups flour

Heat over to 350°. Mix all ingredients and roll into balls. Flatten with the bottom of a glass on a cookie sheet. (See Note 2)

Note 1: I went with plain chips, but to add some more texture, I'd recommend using rippled.

Note 2: It doesn't give a cooking time. I left them in for about 10 minutes or so.

Source: The recipe book is from Wisconsin, but doesn't have a cover, so I've christened it "Coverless Wisconsin Cookbook."