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)