Potato Chip Chocolate Chunk Shortbread

Sweet, salty, and melt in your mouth delicious.

We’ve all collectively decided three things: a chocolate chip cookie is the best overall cookie, a shortbread cookie is the best holiday cookie, and salty and sweet is the best flavor combination. I combined all three of these axioms with my potato chip chocolate chunk shortbread.

Ideal for your holiday cookie box, buttery shortbread is studded with dark chocolate chunks and perfectly salty pieces of potato chip, dipped with more dark chocolate, and topped with more potato chips. I love shortbread, but I find its crumbly texture and basic vanilla flavor to sometimes be one-note. This cookie is crumbly, crunchy, savory, sweet, slightly bitter from the dark chocolate, and melts in your mouth all at the same time.

I loosely took inspiration from Alison Roman’s famous chocolate chunk shortbread. The addition of potato chips truly takes this cookie to the next savory level, in both texture and taste. It couldn’t be easier to make: just combine your wet and dry ingredients in one bowl, and fold in the chocolate chunks and crushed potato chips. Then, roll into a log, chill, slice, and bake. We finish things off with a dip into a pool of dark chocolate and a final dusting of more potato chip pieces. The result is a cookie unlike anyone else’s at the holiday party you’re bringing them to. You can also make these ahead of time: simply wrap the dough log tightly in plastic wrap, freeze, and slice and bake when you’re ready. A special cookie for a special time of year, I hope you enjoy this easy recipe!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature

• 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar

• 1/2 cup (60g) powdered sugar

• 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1 cup crushed plain kettle potato chips

• 3/4 cup (130g) chopped dark chocolate

• 1 egg, for egg wash

• Demerara or turbinado sugar, for rolling

• 7 ounces chopped dark chocolate, for melting

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, for the melted chocolate

• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil, for the melted chocolate

Directions

Chop the 3/4 cup of dark chocolate and crush the potato chips. I recommend using your hands or a rolling pin over a food processor or blender: you want small pieces, not dust.

Cream the butter and sugars. Using an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugars together until pale and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.

Add the flour and salt and fold in with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until just combined.

Fold in the dark chocolate and crushed potato chips until combined.

Form the dough into a log and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.

Once the dough has chilled, preheat the oven to 350F.

Brush the log with egg wash and roll in the coarse sugar. Slice the log into half inch thick rounds.

Place the rounds on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly golden at the sides. If you’d like, use a cookie cutter or glass to “scoot” the cookies into the right shape while they’re still hot.

Allow the cookies to cool completely on a wire rack.

Melt the 7 ounces of chocolate and 2 tablespoons of butter in the microwave in 20 second increments until fully melted. Add the 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil and stir to combine.

Once the cookies are cooled, dip them in the melted chocolate and sprinkle some extra crushed potato chips on top. Allow the chocolate to set completely at room temperature for 1-2 hours or in the fridge for 20-30 minutes.

Serve and enjoy!