White Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut Cookies

When we were in school, I had a weekly bake fest with the lovely Ali P where we’d bake up a batch of cookies, make some tea, and plonk ourselves down in front of the TV just as Gilmore Girls was starting. Our equipment was basic but functional, and we managed to bake up a storm in my tiny kitchen. We also discovered our favourite cookie recipe through this tradition – on the back of a Chip-its bag.

Ali P is back in Ontario for the next little while doing her MBA, so we organized a bake fest to relive the good old times…and also to help me relaunch Cookie of the Fortnight!

First up on the agenda, trying to find a white chocolate chip macadamia nut cookie recipe that can become a staple.

It should be noted that we were a little ill prepared and didn’t actually have macadamia nuts lying around. We convinced ourselves that we like pecans better anyway, and they’d taste great with the cookies. It’s true.

You will need:

• 9 oz. all-purpose flour
• 2 oz. cake flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 6 oz. softened unsalted butter (1.5 sticks)
• 5 oz. packed brown sugar
• 3 oz. granulated white sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1.5 cups white chocolate chips or chunks
• 1 cup chopped macadamia nuts or pecans

Yum yum cookie dough

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Sift together flours, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl and set aside
3. Cream butter in an electric mixer with the paddle attachment for about 2 minutes, until it is creamy smooth and ready to melt.
4. Add sugars to butter mixer and beat on medium speed until fluffy and light in colour.
5. Add in egg and vanilla, and beat until incorporated. Add in flours and beat until incorporated.
6. Mix in the chopped nuts and chocolate chunks/chips. Form into 1.5″ balls on the cookie sheet, and bake for about 15 minutes or just until the top gets a bit crackly
7. Cool on sheet for a couple of minutes before removing to a cooling rack to cool completely. Yields 36 cookies.

  

The cookie texture is great – slightly crunchy near the edges, and chewy in the middle. It flattens out nicely without getting too flat (our first batch was too flat but we adjusted the flours and it worked out well). However, we were looking for a bit more fluff, and this didn’t quite hit that. It’s definitely good and worthwhile if you’re looking for a white chocolate chip cookie recipe. Meanwhile in the test kitchen we’ll continue churning them out until we strike the right balance!