White chocolate macadamia nut cookies
- Preparation 10 min
- Cooking 10 min
- Servings 20
- Freezing Absolutely
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🥛 A cookie that comes from my mom
These white chocolate macadamia nut cookies are my mom’s recipe. She was making them long before I ever cracked an egg on my own, and I never saw a reason to change them. White chocolate, macadamia nuts, a center that stays soft: that’s exactly how I remember them.
🎄 Soft, legendary Christmas cookies
In my house, these come out every year around Christmas. I want them soft, almost underdone in the middle, never dry. These are the kind of soft, legendary cookies you look forward to year after year.
🍪 The Christmas cookie for your tray
Whether it’s a cookie exchange, a shared tray, or just you and a good coffee, this Christmas cookie earns its spot. The dark rum is optional: swap it for vanilla extract if that’s what you’ve got, everyone has vanilla in the cupboard.
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🌡️ They come out soft, that’s the point
These cookies come out of the oven very soft, barely set in the middle. That’s normal, don’t put them back in. As they cool on the tray, they firm up on their own and turn out perfect: soft in the middle, a little crisp at the edges. Bake them longer because you’re scared they’re raw, and they’ll just turn hard and dry. If you like them crispier, give them one or two extra minutes, no more.
🥃 The rum is optional
Dark rum adds a little warmth, but it’s not required. Swap it for the same amount of vanilla extract, everyone has that in the cupboard, and the cookie stays just as good.
📅 Make it ahead
You can make the dough the night before and keep it covered in the fridge. Let it sit out about fifteen minutes before shaping the balls, it’ll be easier to work with.
❄️ They freeze well
Once baked and fully cooled, these cookies freeze for 3 months in an airtight container. Let them thaw at room temperature, about thirty minutes is plenty.
🫙 On the counter
In an airtight container, they keep 3 to 4 days at room temperature without losing their softness.
🌰 Fresh nuts, not rancid ones
Macadamia nuts go rancid faster than most nuts because of their high fat content. Buy them somewhere with good turnover, keep them in a sealed container, and give them a sniff before chopping if the bag’s been sitting in your cupboard a while. A rancid nut tastes like cardboard, you’ll notice right away.
✅ What to serve with my white chocolate macadamia nut cookies?
On a holiday tray, set them next to my milk chocolate cookies, my chocolate and mint liqueur cookies, my orange and Grand Marnier chocolate cookies and my dark chocolate and fleur de sel cookies: a cookie tray that covers every craving, with a big glass of cold milk or a coffee.
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Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) vegetable shortening
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) packed brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) dark rum (or vanilla extract)
- 1 cup (250 ml) unbleached all purpose white flour
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) baking soda
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) white chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) chopped macadamia nuts
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Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the shortening and brown sugar for 45 seconds to 1 minute at medium speed. Scrape the sides.
- Add the egg and the rum (or vanilla extract) and keep beating for 30 seconds.
- In a bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Still at medium speed, add the flour mix to the bowl and keep beating for 1 minute until smooth. Scrape the sides well to incorporate everything!
- Remove the bowl from the mixer, then add the white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts. Mix well with your hands so everything is evenly combined.
- On a large ungreased baking sheet, drop a heaping tablespoon of dough, leaving about 1 in (2.5 cm) between each ball. Lightly press down on top of each, then place the sheet in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes, until lightly golden on top. They’ll come out very soft, that’s normal: they firm up as they cool and turn out perfect. Let cool 10 minutes before digging in!
Because they’re delicious, that’s exactly why. If I made them every week they’d stop being a holiday treat and just become an everyday cookie. Saving them for the season makes them better.
Yes, once baked and fully cooled. They keep 3 months in the freezer in an airtight container. Let them thaw at room temperature before serving.
On the counter, in an airtight container, about 3 to 4 days. After that they start losing their softness.
Easily. The dark rum is there for flavor, not for the chemistry of the recipe. Swap it for the same amount of vanilla extract and your white chocolate macadamia nut cookies stay just as good.
They probably overbaked. At 400°F, 10 minutes is enough: the cookies should come out of the oven very soft. They firm up as they cool, that’s when they get their perfect texture. A slightly hot oven or two extra minutes and they turn hard.
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