In my quest to re-create the quintessential combo of subtly sweet white chocolate with salty, crunchy macadamia nuts, I came up with these flavorful cookies that get nutty, caramel-like notes from browning butter.
Why you will love these cookies:
- They practically melt in your mouth right out of the oven, then firm up as they cool.
- They’re buttery with slightly chewy centers and crunchy edges.
- The dough can be refrigerated for up to 4 days and is easy to cut into coins for baking.
You don’t need any special equipment for this recipe, just some mixing bowls and baking sheets. I always like to bake cookies on a Silpat because they are reusable and easy to clean but parchment paper works, too.
Ingredients:
Why Refrigerate Cookie Dough?
Any professional bakery will tell you that the secret to baking really flavorful cookies is to chill the dough. I recommend 24 hours minimum for flavor, but your cookies will still be good if you can only afford to wait 3 hours.
How to Store Cookie Dough:
I recommend shaping the dough into a thick log, approximately 2-inches thick and wrapping in either parchment paper, wax paper, or plastic wrap. The dough will keep for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
How to Make Brown Butter
Browning butter is as simple as melting butter and waiting for the milk solids to settle at the bottom of the pan where they will develop some color within about 10 minutes. Your butter will should have a pleasant nutty aroma. There are 3 stages that you should look for:
- melting the butter
- bubbling
- a brown color
Baking Tips
When cutting the cookie dough, you will end up smashing some of the nuts and chips, so for presentation, I really like to top the warm cookies with extra white chocolate chips straight out of the oven. Even if they appear soft, they will continue to firm up as they cool, so I don’t recommend baking longer.
I tested this recipe using a 350°F setting, baking the cookies on the center rack at 13, 14, and 16 minute intervals. They were absolutely perfect at 13 minutes with crunchy exteriors and chewy centers; where 14 and 16 minute cookies were dryer and crunchier.
More Cookie Recipes You Might Like:
Brown Butter White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter 1.5 sticks or 170g
- 2 cups + 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled) 265g
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar 150g
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar 150g
- 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
- 11/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup white chocolate chips 170 g
- 1 cup roughly chopped macadamia nuts 110 g
Instructions
- In a small skillet, melt the butter over medium low heat. Continue cooking until the bubbles slow down and the liquid turns brown with a nutty aroma, about 10 minutes total. Set aside to cool.
- Whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Whisk the brown butter, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract together in a large bowl until combined. Add the flour mixture and using a rubber spatula, mix to form a thick dough. Fold in the white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts.
- Set the dough on top of a sheet of wax paper and shape into 2 logs approximately 3-inches thick. Seal the ends and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to 4 days.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
- Cut cookie dough into coins, about ½-inch thick per cookie, and arrange 3 inches apart on the baking sheets. Bake for 13 minutes; right out of the oven, top with extra chips, if desired. The cookies will be soft and chewy while warm but will crisp up as they cool. Store at room temperature, covered, for up to 1 week.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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yum!