I've Moved!

Friday, December 30, 2011

brown sugar white chocolate and macadamia cookies.


Even though my blog's name is Crumbs and Cookies, you might have noticed that there aren't a lot of cookie recipes around. Cookies, I think, is the most dangerously deceptive creation in the baking repertoire. They are so simple, so unchallenging, that I hardly make them anymore. I've turned into a sadist monster who enjoys assembling component after component just for a single dessert.

But, if I finally get down to making a batch of cookies and nibble on one barely minutes out of the oven, I'll find myself residing temporarily in some sugar nirvana. Which, I should add, sometimes cannot achieved by some of the labour intensive desserts I make. As the cookie in my hand disappear to mere crumbs and a heavenly aroma on my fingertips, I reach for another one. They're so uncomplicated, yet able to reduce the willpower of a person to shreds of nothingness.

I must admit, sadly, that I don't really anticipate the baking of cookies anymore. If there's one word I can use to sum up the process of me making them- uninterested. I eye the ingredient list and quickly memorize the quantities. I mix up the dough with an expressionless face and shut the door of the fridge in its face. The next day, I portion out small mounds of dough and freeze them for a little while because the dough would have warmed up some. While its sitting in the freezer I preheat the oven, and when the oven beeps, I send the tray of unbaked cookies in without a second look. I'm almost embarrassed that I assemble these cookies like a heartless robot. There's such a lack of passion and interest which is why I hardly bake them anymore.


Although, something in me awakened when I smelled these cookies which were nearing done. That homely comforting aroma made me glad that I'd gotten down to making them. I would have never attempted these if not for a request by a white chocolate macadamia cookie fanatic. I think I just might be making another batch of cookies sometime soon.

These cookies taste amazing. Instead of a mix of white and brown sugar, the only sugar they contain is brown. Unfortunately, I'm still unable to replicate that elusive Famous Amos cookie, but I love these all the same. I added tons of macadamias and white chocolate so that the dough wouldn't spread much and at the same time, add crunch because they're made with only brown sugar so they're unable to get really crisp.

I think the Famous Amos cookies contain a lot of butter, which makes them really crisp crunchy. They definitely contain a mix of white and brown sugar, I just know it. They have a shortbread kind of texture so I'm going to try something similar to a shortbread recipe next time. More cookies- and I'm finally excited about it!


Brown Sugar White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies
makes 30 small cookies
adapted from here

56g butter, at room temperature
60g brown sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 egg
88g plain flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 cup white chocolate chunks
1/3~ 1/2 cup chopped macadamias

Cream the brown sugar and butter until slightly pale. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until well combined.

In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda and salt together. Beat the flour mixture into the butter mixture until just combined. Mix in the white chocolate chunks and chopped macadamias just until uniformly mixed. Transfer the dough into a smaller bowl and chill until firm, at least 2 hours.

Line a baking sheet with parchment. Portion out the cookies dough onto the baking sheet and freeze while the oven is preheating. Bake at 180C for 15-18 minutes until very brown for crunchy cookies, about 10 minutes for soft ones.

No comments :

Post a Comment