Amazing White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

(I meant to put this up a while ago… let’s just say it’s been a crazy couple of weeks)

Three nights a week I teach a substance abuse counseling group to teens.  The other night I taught a lesson on stress and how to relieve stress without using drugs.  As everyone went around the circle talking about what their common de-stressors were I found everyone looking at me.  I explained that when I get stressed I eat chocolate and bake cookies.  Within seconds I had about 12 orders of different cookies the kids wanted me to bake.  I promised that I would bring in cookies soon and left it at that.

 About a week later when two of our teens were graduating from group, I agreed to bake cookies in their honor.  The unanimous vote was White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies.  I’m not sure if it is a northern thing or maybe a cultural thing, but I had never really eaten white chocolate macadamia nut cookies before.  I had them here and there on cookie platters at trainings, but I had never bought one, made one, or thought “I really want a white chocolate macadamia nut cookie right now.”  Since I didn’t want to disappoint I went to the internet to find a recipe.

I instantly went to my trusty allrecipes.com and found the most highly rated cookie (4.5 stars to be exact).  From there I headed to the grocery store to find macadamia nuts and then almost threw in the towel when I saw how pricey they are… but realizing that all good things come at a price, I sucked it up and got ready to bake.

And bake I did.  These cookies are AMAZING.  When Adam first took a bite his reaction was, “Oh my goodness… these might be in your top five.”  They are that good.  I think the only thing I would change is that they are a little sweet (maybe decrease the sugar by ¼ cup) and that they have a lot of nuts/chips in them.  I would probably decrease the nuts to dough ratio just because I like more dough, but that is me trying to stretch and find something to pick at.  What I love about these cookies:  I love that there is almond extract to give a little almond flavor and the brown sugar, softened butter combo makes them extra chewy.  These cookies are practically perfect in every way.  And for a Northerner who had never eaten them often, that’s saying a lot.

 White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

(makes about 4 dozen)

1 cup butter – softened

¾ cup brown sugar

½ cup white sugar

2 large eggs

½ tsp vanilla

½ tsp almond

2 ½ cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

1 cup chopped macadamia nuts (I cut my nuts in half, but you could make them even smaller)

1 cup white chocolate chips

           

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Cream the butter and sugars until smooth.  Beat in the eggs one at a time then stir in the

vanilla and almond extract.  Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl.  Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture blending until incorporated.  Stir in

the macadamia nuts and white chocolate chips.    

Form into small balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown.  Let cool on a cooling rack.