White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Biscotti

While macadamia nuts are a versatile nut that can make almost any dish more delicious – from pies to cakes – they find their way into cookies, along with white chocolate, more often than not. Creamy white chocolate and naturally buttery macadamia nuts are a great combination and a batch of chewy cookies are a fantastic way to enjoy them, but they are not the only cookie option if you want to enjoy that combination.

These White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Biscotti use the same flavors and put them in a much crispier package. The twice-baked cookies have a hint of vanilla and just the right amount of sweetness to set off the nuts and the white chocolate. I used toasted macadamia nuts and gave them a very coarse chop before stirring them in. I used good quality white chocolate chips (only use white chocolate made with pure cocoa butter!!), which caramelized a bit in the oven and gave the finished cookies a rich, caramelized dairy sweetess and added some nice complexity to each bite.

These biscotti are outstanding when dipped in warm coffee, where the sweetness of the white chocolate really has a chance to shine. That said, they don’t need to be dipped to be delicious. The cookies are excellent on their own and keep very well when stored in an airtight container. Since they store well, these cookies are a good choice for shipping off to friends and family as an edible gift, as well. If you want to dress them up or add some additional sweetness, you can drizzle them with, or dip them in, melted white chocolate before packing them up.

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Biscotti
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 large egg white
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup very coarsly chopped, toasted macadamia nuts
1 cup white chocolate chips/chunks

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in eggs, one at a time, followed by the egg white and vanilla extract.
With the mixer on a slow speed, gradually incorporate the flour mixture, stirring just until no streaks of dry ingredients remain. Stir in almonds and candied ginger.
Divide the dough in half. Shape one half of the dough into a log about 2 1/2-in high and 8-10-in long (log should be quite narrow) on the prepared baking sheet (dough will be quite sticky; use a spatula or bench scraper, or lightly flour your hands to make it easier to shape). Dough will spread, so repeat the process with the rest of the dough on another baking sheet.
Bake logs for about 30 minutes, until golden and set. Cookies will spring back when lightly pressed in the center.
Allow dough log to cool on a wire rack for 20-25 minutes, then slice into cookies 1/2 inch thick using a sharp chefs knife or serrated knife. Arrange upright on baking sheet.
With the oven still at 350F, bake cookies a second time for 20-25 minutes, until they are lightly browned on the sides and slightly crisp. Top and bottom of the biscotti should be relatively dark golden brown.
Allow to cool completely on a wire rack before storing in an airtight container.

Makes about 3 dozen.