Loaded Potato Chip Cookies with Bacon and White Chocolate ~ The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap

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 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 and with the help of this year’s brand sponsors: OXO, Dixie Crystals, Gold Medal Flour and Grandma’s Molasses.

A little swag for participating from OXO and Dixie Crystals.

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     {PRINT THIS RECIPE}
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 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound bacon, cooked, drained and crumbled
2 cups crushed potato chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 cup white chocolate chips

-Preheat 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 a 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 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 decoration 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…  🙂

And here’s the time I get to show you the cookies I received. Sadly, I only got two dozen (not sure what happened to that 3rd food blogger) but, ah well, I guess that’s just the way the cookies crumble!

From Stephanie over at Life Tastes Like Food:

And from Erin over at Dinners Dishes and Desserts:

Thank you so much ladies! We all enjoyed your cookies very much!!!  In keeping with the theme of cookies, here is a ceramic tile I painted a few years ago. I hope you enjoy it 🙂

Painting ceramic tiles and glassware items that are fun as well a functional! If there is ever anything I can paint for you, please visit my shop or contact me at your convenience.

                      Kudos Kitchen By Reneé ~ Where food and art collide on a regular basis!

Until we bake again,