Making white chocolate macadamia nut cookies was an interesting experience! I’ve always loved these cookies and in developing this recipe, I browned butter for the first time. What a revelation! If you’re not familiar, browning butter means to heat the butter in a pan until the milk solids are toasted. What is left is an intensely flavorful, sweet, nutty melted butter that can be used with a lot of different baked goods. I figured that browning the butter in this cookie recipe would make them even more delicious (I was right). I also took some time towards the end of recipe testing to play around with cookie baking temperatures and ways to create dough balls – you’ll notice I ask you to weigh the dough balls out this time. The end result: lovely, tender, sweet, nutty cookies.
Tools and Other Notes
- No mixer needed. You can make this recipe by hand.
- White chocolate. I highly recommend using good quality white chocolate for this recipe. Actually, I never went out of my way to eat white chocolate bars until my brother sent me some locally made white chocolate from his town.
- Macadamia nuts. A given essential; expensive but worth it. Roasted or raw macadamia nuts can be used. For both the chocolate and the macadamia nuts, add as little or as much as you want to the cookie dough.
- Browning butter. Again, I recommend using a good quality butter for this recipe. To brown butter, get a pan that is NOT nonstick (like stainless-steel), put in the butter, and put on low-medium heat. The butter will melt, and eventually start to bubble and foam. Stirring frequently, keep the butter on the heat until the milk solids at the bottom start to turn golden brown. When they do, quickly take the butter off the heat! There are only a few seconds between browned butter and burnt butter. Pour the butter into another bowl to cool, remembering to scrape the pan down to get all the golden goodness.
- Patience. This cookie dough requires chilling. Chilling firms the dough and builds flavor.
- Storage. Eat fresh cookies within a few days. You can make and freeze the dough ahead of time, and bake later.
Ready, Set, Bake!
White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
Prep Time: 3 hours
Cook Time: 10 – 12 minutes per batch
Yield: About 26 cookies
Ingredients
- 300g flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 160g white chocolate chips
- 160g raw or roasted macadamia nuts
- 225g butter, unsalted
- 200g granulated sugar
- 2 whole eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Brown the butter. Put the butter in a stainless-steel pan and put on low – medium heat. The butter will melt and eventually start to bubble and foam. Stirring frequently, keep the butter on the heat until the milk solids become visible and turn golden brown. Take the pan off the heat and scrape its contents into another bowl. Set aside to cool to room temperature. You may also put the browned butter in the fridge or use an ice bath (putting the bowl with browned butter on ice) to cool it faster.
- Pour the flour, baking soda, and salt into a bowl. Whisk to combine.
- Pour the white chocolate and macadamia nuts into the dry mixture and toss to distribute and coat them in the flour.
- Once the browned butter is cool, add the sugar and whisk until well combined.
- Add the vanilla extract and then the eggs, one at a time, whisking until well combined.
- In three portions, add the wet mixture to the dry mixture, folding until the cookie dough is formed.
- Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
- When the chill time is up, preheat the oven to 350° F. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Create dough balls by weighing 40g of cookie dough out for each cookie. Shape the dough into a ball and flatten slightly with a cup or your hand.
- Bake at 350° F for 10 – 12 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies are golden brown and the tops have just set. Take the cookies out the oven and allow to cool on the pan.
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