Loaded Potato Chip Cookies with Bacon

Potato Chip Cookies with Bacon are an old-fashioned cookie with a modern new twist. These are some of the best cookies you'll bake!

*Disclaimer - This recipe was originally published in 2013. I'm working hard to update all my older recipes with recipe cards, new photos, and additional recipe information. But, getting to all of them will take time. Please bear with me. In the meantime let me assure you that this recipe is still a winner and one I'm sure you'll be well pleased with when you make it at home.

It is such great fun to be a part of the food blogging community where we get to talk about and show what we're really passionate about...FOOD! It's even better when that passion gives you the opportunity to do something really great and give back in ways you would have never dreamed possible. That's exactly what The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap enables us to do and it's all done with the simple act of baking, and sharing, cookies! Amazing!

The concept of The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap is pretty simple (although I'm sure the coordination of all the bakers and bloggers must be a nightmare) and was the cumulative effort of Lindsay of Love and Olive Oil, and Julie of The Little Kitchen. This year, the group of over 600 food bloggers helped to raise $13,778.40 in the fight against pediatric cancer for the Cookies For Kids Cancer Foundation.

The concept is this: every food blogger participant donates $4 and is then matched up with 3 other bloggers. You're notified via email who you've been matched with and the requirement is to make 3 dozen cookies that you've never blogged about before and send one dozen to each of the three bloggers you were matched up with. That's it! Simple! Tasty! Fun!

Here is the recipe I chose to make and send to the bloggers I was assigned to. From what I heard back after they'd received their cookies is that they really, really enjoyed the Loaded Potato Chip Cookies and the unexpected packaging I'd used was a fun surprise. You'll see what I mean as you continue to read.... 🙂

LOADED POTATO CHIP COOKIES WITH BACON     
Yield: 4 dozen cookies      Prep Time: 15 minutes       Bake Time: 8-10 minutes per dozen

1 cup butter-flavored shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoons maple extract
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
½ pound bacon, cooked, drained, and crumbled
2 cups crushed potato chips
½ cup chopped pecans
1 cup white chocolate chips

-Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
-In a large bowl, cream together the shortening, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
-Add in the eggs one at a time beating after each addition.
-Blend in the vanilla and maple extract.
-In a medium-size bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
-Gradually stir the flour mixture into the butter-sugar mixture until the mixture just comes together.
-Gently stir in the bacon, potato chips, pecans, and white chocolate.
-Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto parchment-lined baking sheets (1 dozen per sheet).
-Bake for 8-10 minutes and allow to cool completely on a baking rack before serving.

And now that they're cooled, they're ready to be packed and shipped to the 3 food bloggers I was assigned to. One dozen went to Corinne over at Reverberations, one dozen went to Jamie over at Mom's Test Kitchen and the third dozen went to Mark over at Neufangled Desserts. Oh and if you're wondering what happened to the 4th dozen...I had some very happy taste testers here at a home that finished them off.

Remember earlier I had mentioned the fun and unusual packing materials I had used for the boxes? Well, the same day that I baked my cookies was the same day I was decorating the house for Christmas and there were some items I'd decided I was either going to toss or donate...and then I had a light bulb moment...
I'm calling it ~ Christmas In A Box...  🙂