Crunchy Tortilla Chip Cookies with Avocado Frosting

A few years ago, I watched an episode of “Good Eats”, where Alton Brown made avocado ice cream. Up until that time, I had never seen anything but savory applications for the delectable and nutritious fruit (yes, fruit, because of the “seed” or pit in the middle).

So I began experimenting on my own.  Starting with the classic potato chip cookie recipe I used to make as a kid, I thought it would be fun to use tortilla chips instead, playing on a sort of “guacamole and chips” type theme.  Most of my friends and family approached the idea with trepidation.  ”Guacamole on a cookie!?”  I assured them that I did not use guacamole in the frosting, but just the avocado and lime juice.   Needless to say, these crunchy cookies, with their silky avocado cream cheese frosting, have been a favorite Cinco de Mayo tradition ever since.

If you want a more flat/delicate cookie, just eliminate the parchment paper and bake on an ungreased cookie sheet.  And believe it or not, that beautiful green color lasts a long time, with the addition of the lime juice.  Be sure to zest the lime first, because that’s what gives these cookies a real pop.

Crunchy Tortilla Chip Cookies with Avocado Frosting

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup crushed tortilla chips
1 cup mashed ripe avocado
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons lime juice
1/8 teaspoon salt
zest of 2 limes

Can’t see the video?  Watch it here:  Avocado Mayhem

How have you used avocados in desserts?