White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

Summer! It gets hot and suddenly I want to bake! I don't have air conditioning and I HATE the heat!! I get wicked cranky & miserable!

Why does this happen to me??

Well... this week we had a little break from the heat. I decided to take advantage of it and get some of my bake out!

Since I've been neglecting my blog lately, I wanted to make something I hadn't blogged yet.

Jon wanted Peanut Butter Cookies.

OOPS!! I was going to post a link to the Peanut Butter Cookies that I'd already blogged about. But guess what?! I haven't blogged about Peanut Butter Cookies!!

I've done Peanut Butter Blossoms, Peanut Butter Butterfinger Cookies, Wicked Easy Peanut Brittle Bars and Bobby's Peanut Butter Chocolate Fudge, but no Peanut Butter Cookies!!

Well... I see a batch of Peanut Butter Cookies in my very near future!!

I wonder if he'll just skim over this or actually read it! If he doesn't actually read it, I'll be the wicked good wife who made Peanut Butter Cookies, just because her husband loves them. If he does actually read it, he'll still be happy to be eating homemade Peanut Butter Cookies... but I don't think it gets me wicked good wife status!

We'll see!!

Anyway!!

This isn't about Peanut Butter Cookies.... It's about White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies!

They seem to be a BIG favorite.

I posted to Facebook that I was making them and got LOTS of replies that they are everyon's favorite!

Four dozen cookies didn't last very long, so it seems they're quite popular in my house too!



White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
2 1/4 C flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 C butter, softened
1/2 C sugar
1 C packed brown sugar
1 TBLS vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 C white chocolate chips
1 6oz jar macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped.

Preheat oven to 350F.
In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, beat butter, sugars, vanilla and eggs. Beat well.
Mix in flour mixture, until well combined.
Fold in white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts.
Drop by spoonful onto parchment paper lined cookie sheet.
Bake 9 - 11 minutes or until golden brown.
Cool on wire rack.
Enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Check the pantry.

Do you have these?


No?

Browse through the blog and look for something else to make!

Chop up the macadamia nuts and set them aside.


Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. And set that aside too.


In a mixing bowl, beat butter, sugars, vanilla and eggs. Beat well.


Mix in flour mixture, until well combined.


Fold in white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts.


Drop by spoonful onto parchment paper lined cookie sheet.


Bake 9 - 11 minutes or until golden brown.


Cool on rack.


When I make cookies for the blog... no one gets to eat them until I get my pictures!

Tawny was being bratty and just couldn't wait!

She stole one, so she gets her bratty picture in the post!


Yum!!!



These were SO good!

They didn't last long. Sweet chewy cookies with crunchy nuts! I'd advise making a double batch!

Now I need to think about making some peanut butter cookies for Jon!

Warm Brussels Sprouts Salad with Honey Dijon Vinaigrette

I'm not sure how I stumbled across this recipe. I had some brussels sprouts and had planned to roast them for dinner. Then I found this recipe at Poor Girl Eats Well.

Right away I changed my mind! I had to try this!



Warm Brussels Sprouts Salad with Honey Dijon Vinaigrette
1-2 lbs Brussels sprouts (about 30 sprouts or so)
1/2 c dried cranberries
1/3 c chopped almonds
1 T olive oil
1-2 cloves finely minced garlic
Salt & pepper to taste
1-2 oz. crumbled goat cheese (optional)

Honey Dijon Vinaigrette
2 T light olive oil
1 1/2 T white wine vinegar
1 T honey
1 T Dijon mustard
1/4 t granulated garlic
Pinch of salt
Dash of black pepper

Start by making the dressing. Combine all dressing ingredients in a bowl and whisk together until well combined. Set aside.

Clean and trim the brussels sprouts; then cut them into quarters. Heat the olive oil in a skillet and add the minced garlic; cook until just slightly fragrant. Add the brussels sprouts and cook over medium high heat for about 4-5 minutes or until tender crisp, season with salt & pepper about halfway through. Remove from heat.

In a large bowl, toss together the brussels sprouts, cranberries, chopped almonds and Honey Dijon Vinaigrette. Let the salad sit for a few minutes before serving. Garnish with extra chopped almonds, goat cheese if desired and freshly ground black pepper. Enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ok.... so whisk up the delicious Honey Dijon Viniagrette!


I use the bowl I'm going to toss the salad in. Then set it aside.

Clean up the brussels sprouts and cut them into quarters.


Saute the minced garlic; then add the brussels sprouts.


Cook until tender crisp. But sometimes I like to cook them until they're a little caramelized. It's up to you!


Then toss them with cranberries, almonds and dressing.


Let it rest for a few minutes for the flavors to mingle.


It's is an awesome lunch by itself! Or you can serve it as a side.

I've served it with some turkey kielbasa.


This is SO good!! When Jon came into the kitchen the first time I was making it, I told him what it was. He said, but there's bacon in it right? I said no, but assured him he'd like it anyway. He never really like brussels sprouts until he tried my Balsamic Bacon Brussels Sprouts. He thought bacon was the key to tasty Brussels Sprouts.

He LOVED this! He requests it all the time. Come to think of it, he hasn't requested the Balsamic Bacon Brussels Sprouts at all!

And the Honey Dijon Vinaigrette is to die for!! Not only do I use it for this salad, but I make it regularly just to use on a tossed garden salad!

Kimberly, thanks so much for sharing your recipes!

This is for you!


Everyone be sure to browse around Poor Girl Eats Well for more of Kimberly's fabulous & frugal recipes! I think I'll be trying her Caramel Macchiato Cheesecake Shots in the near future!

I'm also submitting this recipe to girlichef for Two for Tuesdays!

Shane's World Famous Blondies!

Since I'm not a big chocolate fan, I was VERY excited to come across Shane's Blondie Recipe. I think almost everyone at BakeSpace has made them at least once. Everyone LOVES these!! My kids ask me to make these a lot. My best sous chef Bob did most of work the last time we made them. They didn't even last 24 hours. If you bake no other bar cookie this year... you MUST bake these!




Shane's Blondies
3/4 C unsalted butter
1 1/2 C light brown sugar
1/2 C dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 C AP flour
1 tsp kosher salt
1 C chopped pecans
1/4 C Heath Toffee Chips (optional)

Line a 13x9 pan with parchment.
Preheat oven to 350F
In a sauce pan, melt butter.
Stir in the brown sugars, stirring until 'melted' and the mixture just begins to bubble
Whisk eggs and yolks together with vanilla.
Pour in the eggs in a steady stream, while whisking constantly to prevent scrambling.
In a small bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt.
Fold flour mixture into the egg mixture.
Fold in pecans and toffee chips (if using)
Bake 35-40 minutes (5 minutes less for dark pans)
Remove from oven and cool on a rack.
Lift via parchment and cut when cooled.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In a sauce pan, melt butter.


I never have dark brown sugar... so I use 2 cups of light brown sugar and add 1.5 teaspoons of molasses.






Whisk eggs and yolks together with vanilla.




Pour in the eggs in a steady stream, while whisking constantly to prevent scrambling.






In a small bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt.


Fold flour mixture into the egg mixture.




Fold in pecans and toffee chips (if using)




Pour into parchment paper lined 13x9 baking dish.




Bake 35-40 minutes (5 minutes less for dark pans)


Lift via parchment and cut when cooled.


Cut and enjoy!


Shane this is for you!!!


These ROCK!!!!

Thumbprint Cookies

I think these are my favorite Christmas cookies. I'm not big on chocolate, so I tend to avoid the chocolaty cookies. These are buttery and nutty filled with raspberry jam. YUM



Thumbprint Cookies
1 C butter
1/2 C brown sugar
2 eggs (separated)
2 C flour
1 1/2 C chopped nuts
your favorite jam (my favorite is raspberry)

Cream together butter and sugar, add egg yolks and flour.
Chill dough 1 hour or over night. Roll dough into small balls, dip into lightly beaten egg whites, roll in nuts.
When on cookie sheet, press a well in the center of each ball prior to baking.
Bake at 325 degrees for 8 minutes, re-press wells and continue baking another 8 minutes until golden.
Remove from oven. While cookies are still on cookie sheets, fill center with your favorite jam and remove cookies to cool on a wire rack. Using different types of jams, you can make it look like a tray full of jewels.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Cream together butter and sugar, add egg yolks and flour.

Chill dough 1 hour or over night.


Preheat oven to 325F.

When dough is chilled, roll into small balls






Dip into lightly beaten egg whites


Then roll in chopped nuts


Place on parchment paper lined cookie tray, 1 inch apart.


With your finger or a spoon, gently press a well into the center of each ball.




Bake 8 minutes at 325F. Quickly (and carefully) repress wells in cookies.


Bake 8 more minutes or until cookies are lightly golden; remove from oven. Repress and wells that have risen. While still warm on the tray, fill the wells with your favorite jam/preserves/jelly.




Enjoy!