Delicious Desserts

Chocolate Chip Macadamia Cookies

Ingredients

  • 1.75 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • .5 teaspoon baking soda
  • .5 teaspoon baking powder
  • 14 tablespoons unsalted butter (1.75 sticks)
  • .5 cup granulated sugar
  • .75 cup packed dark brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon table salt
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1.25 cups cut up dark chocolate slivers or semisweet chocolate chips
  • .75 cup chopped macadamia nuts

 

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 large (18- by 12-inch) baking sheets with parchment paper or use non-stick oven liner. Whisk flour, baking powder, and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.
  2. Heat 10 tablespoons butter in a skillet (avoid using non-stick to see butter turn brown) over medium-high heat until melted, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking, swirling pan constantly until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma (1 to 3 minutes). Remove skillet from heat and, using heatproof spatula, transfer browned butter to large heatproof bowl. Stir remaining 4 tablespoons butter into hot butter until completely melted.
  3. Add both sugars, salt, and vanilla to bowl with butter and whisk until fully incorporated. Add egg and yolk and whisk until mixture is smooth with no sugar lumps remaining, about 30 seconds. Let mixture stand 3 minutes, then whisk for 30 seconds. Repeat process of resting and whisking 2 more times until mixture is thick, smooth, and shiny. Using rubber spatula, stir in flour mixture until just combined, about 1 minute. Stir in chocolate slivers/chips and macadamia nuts, giving dough final stir to ensure no flour pockets remain.
  4. Divide dough into 16 portions, each about 3 tablespoons. Arrange 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets, 8 dough balls per sheet.
  5. Bake cookies 1 tray at a time until cookies are golden brown and still puffy, and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft, 12 to 14 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack; cool cookies completely before serving.

 

 

Oatmeal Cookies with Coconut & Dried Figs

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  • .5 cup plus 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, beaten
  • 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
  • 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
  • .75 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • .5 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1.5 cups chopped dried figs
  • .5 cup coconut flakes
  • 3 cups rolled oats (Do not use instant.)

 

Instructions

  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large (18- by 12-inch) baking sheets with parchment paper or use non-stick oven liner.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, or KitchenAid mixer, beat butter until creamy. Add the brown sugar and white sugar, beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add the vanilla extract.
  3. Mix flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and nutmeg together in medium bowl. Stir the dry ingredients into the butter-sugar mixture. Stir in the chopped dried figs and coconut. Stir in the oats.
  4. Spoon out the dough by large tablespoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets, leaving at least 2 inches between each cookie.
  5. Bake until the edges of the cookies turn golden brown, about 10-13 minutes. Note that the cookies will seem a little underdone. They will firm up as they cool.
  6. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets. Then carefully remove them, using a metal spatula, to a wire rack. Cool completely. They will be quite soft until completely cooled.