Saturday, February 23, 2013

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

I kept the title simple because these are simply delicious, simple cookies to make and they are crazy expensive to buy in stores.

So here you go, this recipe is actually from the cooking website www.allrecipes.com and it's my favorite recipe for these cookies. All credit goes to them, but what you'll love is the EASE of making these.... and the amazing mix of taste and texture that make this cookie a keeper!

These also ship well and freeze well. I always do double batches for this crew and I'm always happy to throw a few in the freezer. For single batch recipe go HERE.




WHITE CHOCOLATE MACADAMIA NUT COOKIES

Ingredients:
4 sticks butter, softened (2 cups)
1 1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons almond extract (I increased both the vanilla and almond to two teaspoons)
5 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups coarsely chopped macadamia nuts
2 cups coarsely chopped white chocolate

Ruthy note: I used the Hershey's white milk chocolate mini chips and they worked great. I love their texture and they are great in cookie baking. One of my faves! Also, I was low on brown sugar so I improvised by adding a 1/4 cup molasses to 1 1/2 cups white sugar and mixing with a fork until you have... wait for it!!! BROWN SUGAR!!!!  :)

Mix with fork and you get this:

Brown sugar! Voila!

In large mixing bowl cream together butter and sugars until smooth. ( I may or may not have added the eggs at this step and mixed like crazy, but that's because you should always... READ THE RECIPE FIRST.  OOPS!!! Anyway, they came out fine... wonderfully fine, in fact!)



Add eggs, one at a time and mix after each addition. Combine flour, salt and baking soda, stir in gradually.



(I have a dough hook for mixing these heavy doughs, and that worked great.

Stir in nuts and white chocolate.
mmm... Macadamia nuts..... WHERE'S THE "LOVE" BUTTON????

And now for the white chocolate chips.... :)

Bake at 350° until golden brown, about 9-10 minutes.

DID YOU SEE THAT???? I HAVE LEARNED HOW TO DO A 'DEGREE' SYMBOL ON THE COMPUTER!!! MAY I HEAR AN HALLELUJAH CHORUS?????

:)  

(I love that link to that youtube video.... the expressions on the shoppers faces: Priceless!)

Ready for the oven!!!

This is a random but beautiful picture of my friend Lisa who's fight against breast cancer earned her a spot as a heroine in a book..... But the real Lisa didn't know that I may or may not have had some FICTIONAL FUN at her expense....  The real Lisa is NOT A YANKEE LOVER!!!

I know, can you believe it???? What is the matter with her????

The fictional Lisa???? Oh, baby, she LOVES THE YANKEES!!!!  :)

I love when I have complete control and possible world domination!!!  And how cute is that baby, waiting for a cookie??? That's Joslyn my "first cousin once removed" who comes to visit me and I get to feed her and cuddle her and teach her fun things... Like how to avoid electric sockets and NOT EAT THE PARTS TO BATTLESHIP!!!

And now, back to our regularly scheduled program!!!


Don't they look wonderful? And they taste that good, too!


9 comments:

  1. Oh, Ruthy. I was following you along on those Macadamia nut cookies...thinking how wonderful they sound...wondering if I could bring myself to buy white chocolate so I could make them...and then smack dab in the middle you inserted the Hallelujah Chorus.

    That puppy brings me to tears. Every time. People always play it a Christmas, but it's really the ultimate Easter song. Handel was a genius.

    At our church in Kentucky, we ended every Resurrection Day service with the Hallelujah Chorus. How could we not? The hope, the victory, the promise that day brings!

    And we always began the service with this song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IM6x-udOF84

    We enjoy Christmas, celebrate the Sabbath, but the Resurrection? It's the center of the year.

    Let me grab a tissue....

    And Hooray for Lisa! She doesn't mind her character being a Yankees fan, does she? After all, if that's the price to pay for being in a Ruthy book, I'd take it!

    But Ruthy, don't keep the rest of us in the dark. How do you do the degrees symbol?

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    1. Press alt and 0176 in that order... but when I tried to do it here it jumped to Google Home page, so clearly the degree symbol has MAGIC powers!!!

      I love that chorus too, Jan! It's so vibrant, such beauty and resonance. Yes, definitely Easter! And (being an alto) my favorite Easter hymn is "I Know That My Redeemer Lives" a rendition I don't see on the Internet, how strange is that???? Must get my sheet music and see who wrote the version we sing.

      Yes, Easter is my favorite. We haven't ruined it and it carries the sin-cleansing "out of the most bad comes wondrous good" feelings!

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  2. Oh, my stars! I just learned how to make brown sugar!!! So very cool. Even if I never make the cookies (I tend to do the slice and bake ones LOL!), you've taught me something! :)

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  3. Amen to that, Jan! I always play the Hallelujah Chorus on Easter Sunday morning. :)

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  4. Well gosh darn, I'm disillusioned. Somehow I thought brown sugar was healthier then white sugar and here it's been white sugar in a masquerade all this time! Bah!

    I never thought about playing the Hallelujah Chorus on Easter -- but it's a good idea. Kind of like watching the Fourth Wiseman. Is it a Christmas movie or an Easter one? I think it fits both.

    Love having another cookie recipe in my arsenal. I already have Speedbo oatmeal cookie batter in the freezer and choco-chip as well. Might as well make it an even three. Or I guess that should be an odd three. :-)

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    1. Yes, putting things in freezer for Speedbo, oh wise one! :) Good job, Kavalicious!!!

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  5. These look wonderful. But tell me why there is an UTZ Pretzel container in the picture.

    I made those oatmeal cookies this week, KAV with lots of raisins and pecans. I love raisins and pecans. They were amazing. THEY ARE NOW GONE. ALL OF THEM.

    Hips beware.

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    1. Let us not talk hips. I blame WRITING. In answer to your question, I keep the brown sugar in that huge container... and my flour is in a 5 gallon Igloo water dispenser (tight top, no bugs in summer) and my sugar is in a five gallon lined garbage pail.

      Shopping at Sam's Club does that to you.

      :)

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