White chocolate and macadamia cookies

Ingredients

• 150 grams unsalted butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 cups plain flour, sifted
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, sifted
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 250 grams white chocolate, chopped
• 150 grams macadamia nuts, chopped

Tried and true

These are my husband’s favourite cookies which, fortunately for me, are ridiculously easy to make. A bit of machinery in the form of a stand mixer helps with the labour and washing up, but if you don’t have such fancy equipment these cookies are still a cinch. You can adjust the amount of cooking time if you like your cookies soft and chewy or a little crispier, though don’t leave them in the oven too long or the macadamias will start to taste funky (and not the good kind!). If you’re feeling extra generous these always go down a treat with family and friends – just bear in mind if you do this that you’ll be asked to make them on a regular basis!

Method

Step 1

Preheat oven to 160°C. Cube and soften the butter so it’s squidgy but not turning to liquid. Add the softened butter, brown and white sugars, and vanilla in an electric mixer and beat for 8–10 minutes or until pale and creamy. If you don’t have an electric or stand mixer, you can do this by hand – it’ll take you a little longer but the result will be equally as delicious. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the egg, beating well to combine.

Step 2

Add the flour, baking powder, and salt and beat on low until a dough forms. Fold through the chocolate and nuts until they are evenly distributed.

Step 3

Now to roll out the cookie dough into balls, ready for baking – it’s easiest to do this with wet hands to prevent the dough from sticking. Roll a generous dessert spoonful of dough into balls and place on lightly greased baking trays lined with non-stick baking paper, allowing room to spread. Flatten the balls slightly and bake for 15–18 minutes or until a light golden colour. Leave the cookies to cool on the tray before serving or storing.

Notes

• Leaving the cookies on the tray to cool after you’ve removed them from the oven helps them to form a crispy bottom. I leave them on the trays for about 10 minutes before moving to a rack to completely cool (or directly to a plate with a glass of milk!).
• If you like your cookies chewy in the centre, cook for around 15 minutes or until the cookies are a very light golden colour around the edge.
• I use baked macadamia nuts in this recipe as they’re more flavoursome – if you are using raw macadamia nuts, you can toast them in the oven before making the cookies.

Recipe adapted from Donna Hay’s white chocolate and macadamia chip cookies as seen on www.donnahay.com.au