Category Archives: Cookies

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

May 11, 2011

Today I get to scrub in for my first surgery! (Up to this point I’ve been watching from afar.) My goal for today is to stand next to the surgeon and assistants and not get in the way. And not touch anything unsterile. Sound easy? Not when you’re used to being able to move your arms freely or sit down or scratch your nose. One wrong move could get me in trouble. I’m curious to see how this goes…

My mind has been so focused on the operating room lately that I’ve had a hard time writing blog posts. I don’t have as much time to think about food. But over the weekend we celebrated Mother’s Day with my family and my sister and I cooked a big meal. We grilled chicken and vegetable kabobs and baked a creamy cauliflower gratin and homemade rolls (all previously posted recipes). And for dessert I made these cookies (as well as an attempt at fresh strawberry ice cream). The ice cream didn’t live up to my expectations, so I’ll be trying again in the future. But these cookies we loved! Soft and chewy, salty and sweet. With bits of crunchy macadamia and smooth white chocolate strewn throughout. Cookie perfection.

2/18/09: Feeling guilty for leaving Dustin alone the last few days (slaving away in school while I visited my family and got our car fixed, again), I decided to bake him a batch of cookies when I got home tonight! Macadamia nuts are a splurge, so these are a rare treat! In fact, he just walked in the door and exclaimed, “mhh…smells so good!” And now, he keeps repeating between bitefuls, “these are so good!” I predict these morsels of nutty perfection won’t be around for long. I’ll be making a double batch next time.

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

INGREDIENTS

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips
6 oz. macadamia nuts, chopped

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.

2. In a medium bowl, cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Beat in the egg and vanilla. In a separate bowl, whisk to combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing well. Fold in the white chocolate and nuts. Drop dough by heaping teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet.

3. Bake in preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned. Cool on wire racks.

Makes 2-3 dozen cookies, depending on size.

(Adapted from All Recipes)

Coconut Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

March 28, 2011

Another recipe that I grew up on. Addictive oatmeal cookies stuffed with raisins and coconut. Little clusters of happiness. The key to the perfect cookies is slightly under-baking them. Take them out just before you think they’re done. This way once they set they’ll stay irresistibly moist and chewy. Even the raisin and coconut-hater around here appreciated these.

Coconut Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

INGREDIENTS

1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups raisins
2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup shredded sweetened coconut

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease or line a large baking sheet.

2. Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt and mix until well incorporated. Stir in the oatmeal, raisins, and coconut. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheet.

3. Bake in preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, until lightly golden around the edges. Remove from the pan to cool on a wire rack.

Makes 2-3 dozen cookies.

White Chocolate Walnut Blondies with Maple Cream Sauce

January 26, 2011

This morning I’ll be receiving my first formal culinary training. I’ve been wanting to take a cooking class for ages, and for Christmas, Dustin granted my wish! I wanted to learn something that I wouldn’t ordinarily make at home and so I chose puff pastry. I might be able to make a near-perfect pie crust, but I always thought of flakey layered puff pastry as something you purchased. No longer! (Or at least that’s what I’m hoping.) But even if my pastry creations disappoint, the experience should be fun!

As much as I love cooking (and eating healthy), I have a weakness for baking. I guess you could say that I cook out of necessity and bake for pleasure. Breads, cookies, cakes… I’m not ashamed to play favorites.  Let’s be real- the best prepared vegetable (and I like vegetables) will never produce the same reaction as a hot buttered slice of homemade bread or a warm and gooey chocolate chip cookie. So mingled amongst the nutritious and savory, I slip in something sweet and sinful every so often.

If you’re in the mood for a spectacular treat, try this one. This recipe is meant to mimick a dessert served at Applebee’s (I wouldn’t know, we don’t won’t eat there). It consists of three essential elements: a warm blonde “brownie” base stuffed with white chocolate chips and walnuts, a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream, and a drizzle of hot maple cream sauce. You can even add more toasted walnuts on top. While each respective part is good, it’s the combination of the three that is unforgettable. Check back in a day or two for an easy homemade vanilla ice cream recipe!

White Chocolate Walnut Blondies with Maple Cream Sauce

INGREDIENTS

Blondies:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
10 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
2 cups light brown sugar
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1 cup white chocolate chips

Maple Cream Sauce:
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1 1/2 cups heavy cream

vanilla bean ice cream, for serving
walnuts, toasted and chopped, for serving

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease a 9×13 baking pan.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk to combine the flour, salt, and baking powder. In a separate large bowl, whisk to combine the melted butter and brown sugar until well-blended. Stir in the eggs and vanilla, mixing well. Slowly add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, until moist throughout (be careful not to overmix). Stir in the walnuts and white chocolate chips. (The batter will be very thick.)

3. Pour batter into the prepared baking dish and baked in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool slightly before serving.

4. To prepare the maple cream sauce, melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the maple syrup and heavy cream and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat slightly and simmer for about 30 minutes, until thickened and reduced by 1/3. Let cool slightly before serving. (Or refrigerate and reheat prior to serving.)

5. Place a scoop of vanilla ice cream over top of a warm blondie. Drizzle with warm maple cream sauce, sprinkle with toasted walnuts and serve.

Serves 12.

(Adapted from Tasty Kitchen)

White Chocolate, Cranberry, and Macadamia Nut Cookies

January 6, 2010

Today is A Hint of Honey’s first Birthday! We made through a full year! I meant to celebrate today with cake, but the cake I baked didn’t turn out as grand as I’d hoped. I made a towering-tall red velvet cake. It was pretty with fluffy white frosting and a deep scarlet middle. It tasted much like I imagined red velvet cake would (it was my first try), but I just wasn’t thrilled with the result. It seemed a little dry and the frosting wasn’t the perfect match. Maybe it was the recipe, probably it was me. Anyhow, today we’ll be without a birthday cake. So instead, I have a different treat to share with you: white chocolate, cranberry, and macadamia nut cookies. Still worth celebrating! I feel obliged to make some soft of birthday speech. A toast to a full year of memorable meals, delectable desserts, mounds of dishes, and millions of messes. To food-spattered cookbooks (and computers and cameras), frustrating photo shoots, and friends and family who shared it all with me. To Dustin, for his patience and encouragement. To my readers, for making this so much fun! Happy 1!

White Chocolate, Cranberry, and Macadamia Nut Cookies

INGREDIENTS

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup (packed) brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries
1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips, coarsely chopped
1 cup salted macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease or line two large baking sheets.

2. Using an electric mixer, beat butter in a large bowl until fluffy. Add sugars and beat until blended. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and then the vanilla.

3. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to the wet ingredients and beat until just blended. Stir in the chocolate, cranberries, and macadamia nuts with a spatula.

4. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets. Baked in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes until lightly golden. Cool on a wire rack. Can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature or frozen for several weeks.

Makes 48 cookies.

(Adapted from Bon Appetit)

Bird’s Nest Cookies (Thumbprint or Thimble Cookies)

December 21, 2009

This recipe is a Christmas tradition in my family. Every December my mom would begin Christmas cookie production. She’d store stacks of Tupperware containers in the cool garage filled to the brim with holiday treats such as peanut butter balls, and best of all, what we call bird’s nest cookies! They’re known by many names- thimble cookies and thumbprint cookies, but the general idea is the same. A sweet buttery ball of shortbread is rolled in nuts or coconut and dented with a finger or a thimble (or the end of a spoon in my case). Then they’re baked and the “nests” are filled with fruit jelly.

If you’ve never had a bird’s nest cookie it might sound kinda strange, but I promise they’re delightful! My little sister who doesn’t care much for jam, took one bite and with wide eyes declared the cookie “delicious”! She ate half a dozen. We use my mom’s homemade strawberry jam which is the best I’ve ever had. Someday I’ll have to make that on my own!

It’s always fun to have recipes that have been passed down through the family. This one came from my grandmother (mom’s mom) who died before I was born and so it has a special place in our hearts and our kitchen.

Bird’s Nest Cookies (Thumbprint or Thimble Cookies)

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups salted butter (if you use unsalted be sure to add about 1/2 tsp. salt)
3/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
3 eggs, separated
jam or jelly of your choice (I used raspberry and strawberry)
sweetened dried coconut flakes
walnuts, finely chopped

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. In a large bowl, cream butter with an electric mixer. Add the sugar gradually and mix well.  Lightly whisk the egg yolks then add them to the bowl with the vanilla and flour,mixing until thoroughly combined.  Shape into walnut-sized balls.

3. Place egg whites in a shallow bowl and lightly whisk. Place nuts and coconut in separate bowls. First roll the balls of dough in the egg whites and then in either the nuts or coconut to coat. Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet and dent in the center with a thimble or finger.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes. Quickly remove from the oven and re-dent the tops of the cookies. Return the cookies to the oven and continue cooking for about 8  minutes, until golden. Remove from the oven to cool on a wire rack. Fill the centers with jam or jelly while still hot. Once cooled, store in an airtight container.

NOTE: If using coconut, make sure the oven rack is in the middle of the oven and watch the cookies closely at the end of cooking to prevent the coconut from burning.

Makes 40-60 cookies, depending on size.

(My mother’s recipe.)