MACADAMIA AND WHITE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
I want the cookie category in this blog to explode with recipes. Different flavors, shapes and textures of cookies. I think I can already say that my favorite dessert in the whole world are cookies. I love how all over the world there are some type of cookies, some variation of the dessert but always cookies. You can also take the rarest ingredients and add to a cookie and you’ll see that somehow it will turn out well. Now, this is not the case with these White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies. Nothing unusual, just a great combination of flavors for dessert this weekend.
These cookies are the perfect combination of white chocolate, macadamia nuts and a little twist of lemon zest to add a wow effect when eating. Although I am a fan of all kinds of cookies, my favorite type of cookie is the chunky cookie. The one that looks like it’s FULL of chocolate or other ingredients making it so chubby. You can perfectly break in half to see those chocolate chips or the beautiful filling inside. That is my number 1 on the list of cookies.
When I just moved to Quito, I couldn’t make those gorgeous chunky cookies because due to the pressure of the height, they were crushed too much. They kept pooling out instead of holding their shape. The flavor was still amazing but they didn’t look the way I wanted them to. That’s not something I was just going to let go of. Testing and testing recipes, I ate several ugly cookies until the chunky cookie that I wanted so much came out perfectly again.
Before we keep talking about this beautiful cookie, I’ll link a few other recipes that I think you might be interested in as well.
PARTS OF THESE MACADAMIA AND WHITE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
The base of this cookie is a semi-dry vanilla cookie dough. It’ll seem that it lacks moisture but don’t worry, it’s just like that and it will turn out great, promise. You’re going to add a touch of lemon zest to that vanilla dough base. But really, just a touch. We want the lemon to be light flavor in the cookie, almost an after thought. Once the dough is ready, add the white chocolate and the nuts. I am going to talk about, in the tips section of this post, what you can do to maximize the flavor and look of your cookies with these two final ingredients.
TIPS FOR PERFECT COOKIES
White chocolate and macadamia: As I mentioned before, there are certain things you can do to give your cookies the best flavor and look. First, I recommend using a chocolate bar instead of chocolate chips and cutting it into pieces of different sizes and shapes. This is going to give the cookie a more rustic look and you are going to have those big pieces of melted chocolate inside. On the other hand, macadamia is a medium large nut. I recommend you cut them a bit too. It’s not necessary to chop them too much because that way they tend to get lost in the cookie.
Weighing the cookies: I found that the best way to have the most perfect batch possible is by weighing the dough. That way, you make sure that they all have more or less the same size, therefore the same baking time.
Baking: Ideally, the cookies should not bake too much. We want the cookies to be soft but not too underbaked either. Take them out as soon as they start to look “toasted” on the outside.
EQUIPMENT
Bowls: One where you are going to assemble the cookie dough and another one for the dry ingredients.
Electric mixer: For the first few steps of white chocolate and macadamia cookies.
Silicone spatula: To add the dry ingredients you will need one of these or you can use your hands as well.
Cutting board: Here you are going to cut the chocolate and nuts before adding them to the dough.
Kitchen scale: For weighing ingredients and cookie dough before baking.
Measures: Of tablespoons and cups for the ingredients of the cookie dough.
Cookie sheet: To put the cookies in the oven.
Parchment paper: or a silicone silpat so that the cookies do not stick to the cookie sheet. You can use butter directly but, I at least, prefer any of the other options.
MACADAMIA AND WHITE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 Cups of flour
- 1/2 Cup white sugar
- 3/4 Cups brown sugar
- 140 gr butter unsalted
- 1 Tsp vanilla extract
- Lemon zest from 1/2 a lemon
- 2 Tsp cornstarch
- 1 egg
- 200 gr chopped white chocolate
- 100 gr Macadamia nuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 190 degrees and prepare a cookie sheet with butter or parchment paper.
- In a bowl mix flour, salt, baking powder and cornstarch.
- In another bowl, beat the butter with the brown sugar, white sugar and vanilla. Add the lemon zest and mix well again.
- Still with the mixer, add egg and mix well.
- Start slowly adding the dry ingredients mixing with a silicone spatula or with your hands.
- Add chocolate and nuts.
- Weigh the cookies to 88 to 90 grams and bake for 10 minutes or so. Until they just start to barely brown.
