Chocolate Potato Cookies

There’s something quite wonderful about recipes that come from another era, our grandmothers, their grandmothers — the ones written on index cards in someone’s careful handwriting, or tucked into the back pages of a church cookbook held together with a rubber band. Chocolate potato cookies are that kind of recipe.

They use pantry staples, a single leftover potato, and not much else. The result is a soft, rich cookie with a tender crumb that’s a little different from most other cookie recipes and that’s a very good thing. The mashed potato disappears completely into the dough, but it does something subtle and good to the texture that you’d notice if it were missing.

These are the kind of cookies that suit a slow winter afternoon. They’re not fussy. They don’t require a trip to the store. They’re just good, honest baking – and well tasty, too!

A Few Notes on Ingredients

Because this is a vintage recipe, the ingredient list is simple. You probably have everything already on hand, but there are a few things worth mentioning:

The Potato: You need 1/3 cup of cooked, plain mashed potato — not leftover mashed potatoes with butter and milk already worked in, just a baked or boiled potato mashed on its own. This is a great way to used up something that’s a bit soft in the pantry or even a baked potato left over from last night’s dinner.

The Nuts: I used walnuts, but pecans or almonds would work. If you’d rather leave the nuts out entirely, feel free. You could add more chocolate chips or even something like raisins instead.

The Chocolate Chips: Basic semi-sweet is what I keep in the pantry, so that’s what goes in. White chocolate chips would make for an interesting color contrast. You could skip them altogether if you’d prefer a simpler cookie.

The Malted Milk Powder (in the frosting): I love a chocolate malt and the old-fashioned, slightly nostalgic flavor the powder adds, but if you don’t have it on hand and it’s not something you want to buy (because it’ll just be wasted) just leave it out. A simple chocolate glaze works fine. A vanilla glaze would be lovely too. A coffee-flavored frosting would suit the coffee lover. Or skip the frosting entirely — the plain cookies are quite nice on their own.

How to Store

Keep cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days at room temperature. If it’s especially warm in your area, you might want to store the frosted cookies in the refrigerator.

For longer term storage, simply put into freezer bags and freeze. Use up frozen cookies within 6 months for best flavor. Let frozen cookies thaw on the counter prior to serving.

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Yield: 3 Dozen

Chocolate Potato Cookies

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Old-fashioned chocolate cookies with a tender crumb and a secret ingredient — one plain mashed potato.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes

Total Time 32 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/2 Cup Salted Butter, softened
• 3/4 Cup Brown Sugar, packed
• 1 Egg
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 2 ounces Unsweetened Chocolate, melted
• 1 1/2 Cup Unbleached, All-Purpose Flour
• 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1/3 Cup Cooked & Mashed Potatoes
• 1/3 Cup Milk
• 1/2 Cup Walnuts, chopped
• 3/4 Cup Chocolate Chips

Chocolate Malt Frosting

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• 1 Ounce Unsweetened Chocolate
• 1 Tablespoon Butter
• 1 Tablespoon Hot Water
• 2 Tablespoons Malted Milk Powder
• 2 Tablespoons Milk
• 2 Cups Powdered Sugar

Instructions

Make the Cookies

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease cookie sheets.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar until light.
3. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and melted chocolate mixing until completely combined.
4. Stir in the flour and baking soda, mixing well.
5. Fold in the mashed potatoes and milk, mixing until combined.
6. Stir in the nuts and chocolate chips, combining everything well.
7. Drop by Tablespoons full onto prepared baking sheet.
8. Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until the cookies spring back when touched.
9. Remove from sheets to cool on wire racks. Frost, if desired.
   

Make the Frosting

1. In a small saucepan, combine the butter and unsweetened chocolate. Over very low heat melt the two together, stirring frequently.
2. Stir in the hot water, mixing until combined.
3. Add the malted milk powder, milk, and powdered sugar until everything is combined.
4. Spread onto the tops of cooled cookies.
   

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

36

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 209Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 4gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 14mgSodium: 61mgCarbohydrates: 32gFiber: 1gSugar: 22gProtein: 3g

We try our best but cannot guarantee that nutrition information is 100% accurate.

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