Now, let’s see if we can come up with another reason for me to bake cookies… hmm, that’s a tough one since I don’t like to bake. Wait. What am I saying! Heresy!
To atone for my sins, I chose to make Cashew-Macadamia Butter Cookies (with White Chocolate Chunks and Cranberries). I know that this second name sounds like a mouthful, and let me assure you that they are a great tasting one!
White chocolate macadamia nut cookies are one of my favorites, though I’m usually disappointed by these cookies when I have them out. Essentially, these are peanut butter cookies where I substituted the peanut butter with Cashew-Macadamia Butter, which I spotted at Trader Joes. Dressed up peanut butter cookies invloving macadamia nuts?, I thought to myself. I must have started to drool at the idea, because people started to stare. I grabbed the butter (paid for it) and headed home. If I were making these in the summer, I might toss in some coconut instead of the cranberries, and maybe some chopped acadamia nuts, too. Here, though, I think that the cranberries give it a nice tang and a holiday feel.
And, of course, here is the recipe so Santa can make these himself when he gets home:
Cashew-Macadamia Butter Cookies
(with White Chocolate Chunks and Cranberries)
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 cup Cashew-Macadamia Butter
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt (both types of butter I used were unsalted)
1 heaping cup white chocolate chips/chunks
1 cup dried cranberries
Preheat oven to 375 F.
Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
In a separate bowl, using an electric mixer, cream butter until fluffy. Add sugars and cashew butter and beat until well combined.
Add eggs one at a time and beat until well incorporated.
Stir in flour mixture by hand, then add white chocolate and cranberries.
Drop by tablespoonfulls (and flatten them somewhat) onto a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for about 12 minutes, until cookies just begin to brown at edges.And finally, pour yourself a glass of milk and enjoy! Don’t forget to save some for Santa, though.
Kathryn Russell
November 17, 2008I’ve made these cookies twice, now and with wonderful results both times! The second time I chopped the cranerries and the white chips into small pieces and measured the dough out 1 teaspoon at a time. I reduced the cooking time to 10 minutes. I have a convection oven so I can cook three pans of cookies at once. I took a sample bag to my local Trader Joe’s along with a print-out of your website recipe. I expect to see them at their demonstration booth soon. I took pictures, too. I just love making mini cookies, maybe because people feel a little less guilty eating them. :>
Nicole
November 17, 2008Kathryn – That is so sweet! I’m glad to hear that you like the cookies – I hope everyone at your local TJ’s likes them just as much as you do.