Momma Told Me: potato chip brownies

**** I received sample bags from @FritoLay through the +Klout program. In exchange I was asked to provide my honest opinion on my various social media outlets. All photos contained blow are copyright Momma Told Me Blog 2013.

Momma Told Me: You can't have just one.

The older I get, the more sophisticated my palette becomes; or, at least that's what I prefer to think. However, some constants remain in the form of an immense love of sweet and salty, soft and crunchy- contrast of flavor and texture has always been, and I suppose will always be, my favorite culinary experience. While Pop was lounging on the couch popping kernels of popcorn, or Lay's wavy chips into his mouth I was craving something to offset the crisp of these snacks. Before long I would only enjoy my potato chips wedged between a peanut butter sandwich, on a hamburger, or with a hearty dip of sour cream and onion (Ranch being a close runner up). It mattered not how much flavor potato chip brands packed between those ridges and waves, I craved a texture contrast that chips alone could not satisfy.

Jay, however, craves the crunch. He loves the loud snap of a chip crumbling between each bite, and the salty baked flavor of a good all American chip. While I'm dipping and dunking he's clearing out the bag a handful at a time. So, when Klout informed me my social media status had qualified me for a new 'Perk' from Lay's, I was certain our favorite brand had cooked up something especially delicious. You may recall my feature on the brand's Do Us A Flavor specialties, including my thoughts on the controversial Chicken and Waffles Chips. While many of you seemed revolted and equally intrigued, I proceeded to devise some inspired baking and food recipes- more on that in a bit. However, I first did some research on chip history, in particular some of the more bold flavors that have graced our favorite brands throughout the years. As it turns out, Lay's Do Us A Flavor regional contest yielded many interesting results, including Grilled Cheese and Ketchup Sandwich and Maple Moose (Canada). But those aren't to be outdone by British favorites, Sunday Best Roast Chicken, Roast Ox, and Prawn Cocktail.

To get back to our feature, Lay's sent on over a trio of their popular (re-designed) Wavy chips in Original, Ranch, and new Roasted Garlic and Sea Salt. Apparently the term 'roasted' makes even potato chips artisan these days.... Already familiar with the first two I immediately pried open the Garlic and Sea Salt with a pleasing 'pop' as the trapped nitrogen escaped the bag. A mouth watering smell of subtle sea salt and slow roasted garlic wafted up, the beautifully large (and whole) Wavy chips dusted in a visible seasoning. I forgot how much I disliked crunchy treats by themselves and popped a chip in my mouth, ignoring the loud crunch and savoring the rich flavor. Surprisingly these were not overly salted; they didn't make me crave a sip of water. Instead, I popped yet another chip in my mouth, letting out an audible 'Mmmmm!' these were even more addictive and delicious than my favorite KC Masterpiece chips, and the wide wavy ridges were perfect for dipping (though entirely unnecessary).

Jay, my father, and I finished off the bag in an afternoon, and I have since been scouring local shelves for the new flavor to make an appearance. I can't wait to get my paws on another Roasted Garlic and Sea Salt bag to create a new twisted recipe- Speaking of my potato chip recipes; which some called slightly deranged, it turns out I am not the only crunch loving girl who likes to spice up recipes with a kick of crunch and salt. Complex Magazine actually contacted me about a Top 10 Potato Chip Recipe roundup they are running in their print issue next month. Not only is our Potato Chip Brownie recipe live in the Top 25 Potato chip Recipe roundup online (and coming in at 5th!), but there are 24 other amazingly delectable chip recipes for you to discover there. Head on over, and be sure to show our recipe some love with a click through or comment!

Until next time, keep it sweet and salty my readers!

What Daughter Says: Why stop at one chip when you can create a whole new favorite treat. Try cooking with potato chips today!

Momma Told Me: Why not Sugar and Spice?

Chubby Hubby, Chicken and Waffles, Hawaiian Pizza, Chocolate Dipped Pretzels, Maple Bacon, and Freshly Dunked French Fries in a Frozen Chocolate Shake. What did these food combinations do for you? I ask, because, much like the children of our youth, adults have a surprisingly guttural reaction to that which sounds abnormal. How many times have you heard of a pregnant woman craving the strangest combinations, such as pickles and ice cream? How often do you hear of those same women learning to crave those items long after their pregnancy? It's a simple fact that our 'adult' culinary minds are often closed off initially to what is not considered mainstream. This is why I love cooking and baking in the privacy of my own home; I can experiment without stigma. And believe me, not everything I crank out of my kitchen has been a whopping success- there was the time I thought I could deep fry tortillas into ice cream cones, can you say M-E-S-S? But there is something time proved I can always count on. Salty does go well with sweet, it is simply a matter of deciding which flavor note should overpower the other.

As you likely already know, I love to create unusual sweets, and time saving meals that are easy on the chef and well rounded for the family. Sometimes I like to deviate from what is considered 'proper,' and experiment with ingredients that are less than 'healthy.' Don't get me wrong, there are all types of potato chips, and I'll be happy to wrap this series with a homemade, baked, recipe- but, today, we will begin this series of Potato Chip Recipes with something purely frivolous. Chocolate chips? It's already been done; I have a bag full of tiny black semi-sweet morsels in my pantry. Oh, you mean chocolate AND chips- well, I've actually had chocolate dipped potato chips on several occasions and the combination is surprisingly tasty. In fact, when I made my 'BLT' birthday cake, for my father a few years back, I hand dipped Ruffles Ridges chips in yellow dyed white chocolate, and it was easily one of the tastiest sweets I've had since. I actually champion white chocolate (I know, not 'real' chocolate), for dipping chips, as the extra sweetness really balances out the salt on thicker ruffled chips.

But I digress. There I was the other week, staring at a disappointing bag of Chicken and Waffles Lay's, when it hit me; I could create something much tastier, and far more intriguing. So I set out to present my wonderful readers with a series of 5 potato chip themed recipes spanning desserts, appetizers, and snacks. Welcome to post 1: Double Chocolate Potato Chip Brownies, you're welcome World! Of course, there will be some skeptics. The truth is, you could just as easily crumble some chips on a boxed brownie mix, prior to sending it to the oven. But 'potato chip brownies' just don't seem as 'cool' unless they're homemade; and this recipe will offer a richer, cocoa flavor, that will highlight the salty notes within the crunchy shards. Yes, I know 'shards' don't sound appetizing, but that's one downfall of baking chips, extra salty crunch (just remember how you used to fight to eat Cap'n Crunch, as it scoured the top of your mouth). And, of course, you can control the crunch factor by altering the size of the chip crumbs you sprinkle, smaller crumbs will be easier to integrate, while larger chunks will have a more dramatic appearance and offer a bolder sweet to salt flavor.

So how did my glorious golden shard (I'm sticking with shard) brownies turn out? This was my first time baking from scratch with melted chips and cocoa in the recipe. The result was a much gooier brownie the first run. I put the second batch in for an extra 10 minutes and they cooked to a 'springy' texture that was still quite dense, but a bit fluffier. I think it's purely preference how long you cook them past the initial 30 minutes. I rather like the gooey first batch, which was perfect for a scoop of ice cream a-la-mode. I also drizzled a little extra melted chocolate over the chips after removing them from the oven, this helps hold them in place and add that extra 'wedged' sweet and salty experience. Just remember, chips do go stale, and they will get soft of chewy if left out exposed to humidity and air, so keep them well sealed when not being devoured!

What Daughter Says: Have your cake, and eat your chips too, with this sweet and salty recipe that's sure to have guests turning heads.