Description
These Brown Butter White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies combine the rich, nutty flavor of browned butter with the sweetness of white chocolate and the crunch of macadamia nuts. Perfectly soft and chewy with a delicate crisp edge, these cookies are a decadent treat that’s easy to make and yield about 18 delicious servings.
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla essence (or vanilla bean paste)
- 2 large eggs
Dry Ingredients
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Mix-ins
- 11 ounces white chocolate bars, roughly chopped
- 1 cup chopped macadamia nuts
Instructions
- Brown the Butter: In a small, light-colored saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. As the butter melts and heats, it will foam and bubble. Stir occasionally, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom. Continue cooking until the butter turns a deep brown color with a nutty aroma, about 8-10 minutes. Be attentive as it can burn quickly. Remove from heat and let it cool slightly.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, light brown sugar, vanilla essence, eggs, and the cooled browned butter until thoroughly combined and smooth.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and kosher salt until evenly combined.
- Make Cookie Dough Batter: Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, folding gently with a rubber spatula until no flour streaks remain and the dough is just combined. Avoid overmixing to keep cookies tender.
- Add Mix-ins: Fold in the chopped white chocolate and chopped macadamia nuts evenly throughout the cookie dough using a rubber spatula.
- Shape Cookies: Line a quarter sheet pan with parchment paper. Use a large spring-loaded cookie scoop to portion dough balls onto the pan. Do not roll the dough in your hands; simply scoop and release. Dot the top of each dough ball with extra pieces of chopped white chocolate for visually appealing chocolate puddles once baked. You should have about 18 cookies.
- Chill the Dough: Cover the pan with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 24 hours to develop flavor and texture.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line one or two large baking sheets with parchment paper depending on how many cookies you are baking.
- Bake Cookies: Space 7-8 cookie dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, allowing room for spreading. Bake at 350°F for about 9-10 minutes, or until cookies are lightly golden brown around the edges.
- Finish and Serve: Immediately upon removing from the oven, gently tap or drop the baking sheet on the counter twice to deflate the cookies slightly and help the chocolate spread and puddle. Let cookies cool on the sheet for 5-7 minutes before transferring to a wire rack or serving.
Notes
- Use a light-colored pan for browning butter to better monitor its color changes and prevent burning.
- Do not overbake; cookies should be lightly golden around the edges but still soft in the centers.
- Chilling dough enhances flavor and prevents excessive spreading while baking.
- If you prefer, vanilla bean paste offers a more intense vanilla flavor than extract.
- Adding extra white chocolate on top before chilling results in pretty chocolate puddles on finished cookies.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
