White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

The macadamia nut.....this has been closely tied to the island of Hawaii for good reason:  95% of the world's crop comes from this Pacific paradise.  With the cold weather outside, I would do just about anything to imagine an island getaway at this moment.  This buttery-flavored nut is great to bake with, so this is a perfect cookie to make while watching the snow fall outside.  Let's see if this cookie will convert me to white chocolate...





White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter, melted & cooled
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips
1 cup chopped macadamia nuts

Adjust an oven rack to lower-middle position and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper so that they don't burn and stick. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together.

In a large bowl, beat the melted butter and sugars together with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Beat in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla until fully combined.  Next, reduce the speed to low and slowly add the flour mixture until combined. With a large spoon, mix in the white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts until incorporated.

Working with 1 tablespoon of dough at a time, roll the dough into even balls and lay them on the baking sheets, spaced about 2 inches apart.  Bake until the edges become light brown, about 13-15 minutes depending on the oven.

There aren't many WCMN recipes to choose from, but I really think this one is the best.  The saltiness of the macadamia nut combined with the sweetness of the white chocolate makes this recipe amazing.  Be careful not to over bake the cookies though....the middle should be soft and chewy!  Although I will never be able to say white chocolate is my favorite, I will say that this is one of my top 5 favorite cookies.  Enjoy!