Place chicken into a bowl, pour buttermilk over chicken to cover. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and put in refrigerator to marinate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place flour, salt, pepper, and chili powder (if using) in a bowl and mix together. Remove chicken pieces from buttermilk and dredge in seasoned flour. Set onto platter until ready to fry.

Pour oil into deep-sided stock pot (you’ll want the oil to cover or mostly cover the chicken). Heat until extremely hot, 360 degrees. (Use a candy thermometer to check the temperature.) Fry chicken for three minutes on each side, being careful not to crowd the pieces. Chicken should be crispy and brown.

Place chicken on a broiler pan (so excess grease can drip off) and finish cooking in oven for 30 to 40 minutes.

Line a baking pan with parchment paper and drop rounded teaspoons of cookie dough onto pan. Bake 13 to 15 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from oven and allow cookies to cool slightly before moving to wire cooling rack. Makes 2½ dozen cookies.