Cut Down On Food Waste, Make Perfect Pantry Cookies

Did you know that approximately 40% of all food is wasted in the United States? Whether or not you were aware that the number was this high, you've probably picked up on recent, widespread efforts — both in restaurants and at home; our parent company ZPZ even made a feature-length documentary on the subject — to cut down on food waste and maximize the usage of all available ingredients. Now, it's your turn to help out!

Those potato chip bits and slivered nuts stacking up in your pantry? You can use them to make some mighty fine cookies. Our friends at ChefSteps collaborated with Seattle-based chefs Brothers & Co. to show you how to make cookies from whatever's hanging out in your cupboard, and cut down on food waste in the process.

Perfect Pantry Cookies, With Brothers & Co. from ChefSteps on Vimeo.

Servings: 24 cookies

Ingredients

1 teaspoon flaxseed meal

½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon water

½ cup nuts and seeds, various

½ cup neutral cooking oil

¾ cup sugar

1 date, pitted

½ mature banana

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

1 ½ cups potato chips, broken into ½-inch pieces

Directions

1. Combine flaxseed meal, vinegar and water in advance to allow the flax to hydrate.

2. Mix nuts, seeds, oil and sugar. Start off with whatever nuts and seeds you've got on hand. We mean it — any nuts you like! Just keep in mind that the final texture and flavor of your cookies may vary depending on the oil content in the nuts and seeds you use. Add your preferred nuts and seeds, sugar and oil to the bowl of a food processor and blend for 1–2 minutes, or until smooth.

3. Add the date, mashed mature banana and hydrated flaxseed meal to the mixture. Blend until smooth. Transfer the entire mixture into a large mixing bowl.

4. Sift together the all-purpose flour and baking powder and mix into your wet ingredients. Gently fold in potato chip pieces for that extra salty crunch.

5. Portion the cookies to about 30 grams each and bake at 325°F for 15–20 minutes on a parchment-lined sheet pan.

6. Serve! Eat 'em on their own, or let them cool and add a scoop of ice cream between two cookies for an out-of-this-world, salty-sweet summer treat.

ChefSteps comprises a team of award-winning chefs, filmmakers, scientists, designers and engineers focused on revolutionizing the way people cook by inspiring creativity and encouraging expertise in the kitchen. You can also get access to all of ChefSteps' Premium content — including paid classes and dozens of recipes available only to Premium members for a onetime fee of $39. Classes include Sous Vide: Beyond the Basics, Fluid Gels, French Macarons and more!