Chippers by Joanne Fluke

   

I like murder.  But only in book form.  And murder with recipes is the best kind of cozy.  You know, the bloodless kind of cozy murder mystery where the murder happens out of sight and the protagonist bakes and gives you the recipe.  Although I am MOSTLY a library reader, I have to buy the Joanne Fluke books and I keep them on a shelf devoted to murders with recipes.  There are a lot of them, so I can't be the only one that loves them.  If I ever write a book, you can bet there will be recipes mixed in to increase sales!

   

One of my favorite of Ms. Flukes recipes is the one for Chippers.  It is in her book, Key Lime Pie Murder and you will even get a Key Lime Pie recipe with it!   These are salty and sweet with a touch of lemon.  Really exceptional.  Plus the recipe makes a TON of cookies, about 8 dozen, and I am going to a party for a family with 9 children, so I need a TON of cookies!  If you don't need a bunch, they freeze well.

Chippers

1 1/2 cups softened butter ( 3 sticks )
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups crushed plain potato chips, measure after crushing
1 1/2 cups finely chopped pecans, measure after chopping
1 teaspoon lemon zest, she claims it is optional and you only need 1/2 teaspoon.  I do the whole lemon and don't measure!

1/3 cup sugar (approximate) in a small bowl
She puts a pecan half on top of each cookie.  I don't bother.

   

Preheat oven to 350.

   

I once bought a small chopper at a Pampered Chef party.  This is what I use for the pecans. 

   

You have to make little piles, because if the pile is too big, there are crushed pecans and larger hunks of pecan.  I line up little piles and chop away.  Feel free to use a food processor, but stop short of making pecan butter.  Just use short pulses.  And my little chopper is way easier to clean than my food processor, and less dangerous!

   

To crush the potato chips, I just put them in a gallon size Ziploc bag, making sure I let out the air.  Then I crush away and measure what I've got left.

   

Cream the butter with the sugar. I like tto use the Kitchen-Aid mixer.   Crack the eggs over the sink and let the white drip into it.  Dump the yolks into the mixer. Then add the salt and the vanilla and continue beating until it is light and fluffy.  If you use the lemon zest, and you should, add it in.

   

Add the crushed potatoes and pecans.  Then add the flour one scoop at a time until everything is mixed in.

   

I like to use a cookie scoop, but you can just form one inch balls and place them on a ungreased cookie sheet.  I use a Silpat baking sheet to keep them from sticking.  Spray Pam on the bottom of an empty glass.  Dip it in the sugar and use it to partially flatten the cookie.  Dip it into sugar between each cookie.  You may have to spray it one more time.

Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes or until the edges are just starting to turn golden brown.  Let them cool on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.   Cool completely before you put them away.  Cool them a little bit before you eat some.  The outside is crispy and they are chewy and just the best.

And by the way, this is not one of my low calorie recipes.  These are why I eat low calorie sometimes, so I can indulge on a really delicious cookie now and then.