White Chocolate Macadamia Nut & Lime Cookies

  • White Chocolate Macadamia Nut & Lime CookiesSometimes it’s worth it to mess with a good thing.

    We are all quite aware of that classic combo known as white chocolate and macadamia: a marriage made in a rich, white, soft-textured heaven.  (Some might say that the combo is a better match than that other famous medly known as chocolate chip and pecan… but I don’t want to spark a debate.  All sweets are treated equally here, friends.)

    Back to messing with a proven winner- why not zest a lime and throw it into the white chocolate & nut batter?  Why not juice some of that lime and throw that in, too?  We all know that a little zing can offset the sweetness- and even enhance it in a wonderful new way.  I dare you to eat just six when they’re cool enough to touch.

    Adapted from allrecipe’s chocolate cookie recipe…

    2 cups all-purpose flour

    1 teaspoon salt

    1/2 teaspoon baking soda

    3/4 cup unsalted butter, very soft

    1 cup packed light brown sugar

    1/2 cup white sugar

    2 tablespoons lime juice

    1 tablespoon lime zest (approx. 2 limes)

    1 tablespoon vanilla

    1 egg

    1 egg yolk

    1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips

    1 cup macadamia nuts, chopped and lightly toasted

    1. Preheat oven to 325°.
    2. Sift together flour, salt and baking soda, and set aside.
    3. In a medium bowl, beat the butter with both sugars until well blended (2 minutes, scraping sides of bowl throughout).  Beat in the lime juice, zest, vanilla, egg, and yolk for another 2 minutes.
    4. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended, and stir in white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts, being careful not to over mix.
    5. Preheat oven to 325 while dough chills in fridge for at least 30 minutes.
    6. Scoop dough by rounded tablespoons onto parchment-lined cookie sheets, about 2 – 3 inches apart.
    7. Bake for 9 – 12 minutes, until edges are lightly toasted and centers are still setting.  Cool on wire racks before indulging.

     Tips:

    • Toast the nuts a bit first for extra flavor.  (After chopping into the size you prefer, scatter on a pan and pop into the oven for 8 minutes or so at 325°.  Take out when they turn a light golden color and cool slightly before adding to your batter.)
    • Salt addict?  Me too.  Sprinkle the tops of the dough balls with sea salt before baking, if you’re so inclined.
    • Not into lime, or zest?  No worries- just omit.  The recipe will be just as spectacular without the extra zing.
    • The chilling step- really?  Unfortunately, yes.  If you bake these without chilling first, your cookies will flatten out and look a bit sad.  The good news is that you can keep the batter in the fridge for a few days and bake when you’re good and ready to.
    • Chewy vs. crispy… if you want your cookies chewier, bake for a little less time and cool on racks right away.  If you like crispier, bake for the full time and cool on cookie sheets for a few minutes before transferring to racks.
    • Want that island feel?  Macadamia nut… lime… COCONUT!  Yes, that’s what’s missing.  Throw some into the batter or sprinkle on top before baking (I like the Angel Flake kind).  I wish I did that with this version, damn it.

     

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    March 7th, 2012 | More Sweets Please | No Comments | Tags: ,

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