White Chocolate-Macadamia Cookies

Ask me what I miss the most while on the low-carb diet. It's not the rice, not the pasta, not so much the fruits or candy. What I miss the most is baking--the act of baking. 

Since I can not eat the sweet goodies and the sumptuous breads I used to bake on a regular basis, I have also put my baking projects on the side. Oh how I miss it, I can't begin to explain! So, just to reminisce a bit, I am sharing with you one of my favorite cookie recipes: White Chocolate Macadamia.

 Best served with milk!

This is my family's favorite among the cookies I make. The dough itself is not so sweet, but when you bite into the parts with the white chocolate, it creates the perfect blend of sweetness. The macadamia nuts are also my favorite and its texture and saltiness is a good contrast to the soft and chewy dough. 

Baking this recipe is not the easiest thing. The dough is huge (just look at the 2 blocks of butter below!), extra sticky and a bit heavy to handle. If you're not too careful during baking, it's also easy to pull out the cookies too early or too late and be left with a cookie that is either too soft or not as soft as you intend. Make sure to check it before pulling it out from the oven because the cookies may need a minute or two more or less than stated, sometimes depending on your oven temperature.

But don't worry about all these intricacies. You'll master them in no time. All the hard work will pay off once you receive comments, praises, smiles, hugs, tears, and all the superlatives that are inevitably on your way after sharing these cookies.

Here is the original website where you can get more excellent cookie recipes!  And without further ado, here is the recipe.


White Chocolate Macadamia Cookie Recipe
Makes 60 cookies, using a 1 tablespoon scooper 
Divide the recipe in half if needed


Ingredients:

•     1 pound (2 cups) butter, room temperature
•     1 2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
•     1 cup granulated sugar
•     3 large eggs, room temperature
•     1 tablespoon vanilla
•     4 1/4 cup all purpose white flour
•     2 teaspoons baking soda
•     1 teaspoon salt
•     2 cups (12 ounce bag) white chocolate chips or chunks
•     1 1/4 cup (4 ounces) macadamia nuts, roasted and chopped

Method:

•     Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
•     Line baking sheets with parchment paper. No need to grease.
•     Measure flour, baking soda and salt in a large bowl and blend together. Set aside.
•     In a large mixing bowl, preferably a heavy-duty mixer, and using the paddle or beater attachment, beat butter until creamy.

•     Add brown sugar and beat again. Scrape down the bowl and add the granualted sugar. Beat until fluffy.
•     Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.
•     Add vanilla, beat and scrape again.
•     On low speed, add flour mixture 2 cups at a time, and mix well.

•     Mix in white chocolate and macadamia nuts. Mix only until blended.
•     Using a cookie scoop, place dough on prepared baking sheets, spacing evenly to allow for spreading.
•     Bake at 350 degrees F for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Do NOT over bake these cookies. They continue to bake for a few minutes after they are removed from the oven.

 

•     Transfer to cooling racks. Store in air tight container or plastic bag to stay soft and moist.

Enjoy!