Buttery, sweet and absolutely moreish, these white chocolate macadamia cookies may well take the top spot away from the regular choc chip. They are THAT good.
I have made these white chocolate macadamia cookies countless times, most recently for my friends who came over to help me paint my house. Nothing fuels hours of painting off white walls white than cookies.
The brown butter part, in my opinion, is essential. The moderate amount of extra effort needed to brown butter before you start the recipe provides truly maximum rewards. It’s a fairly simple process, whereby you melt butter in a pot over the stove. It begins by foaming slightly and then in about five or so minutes, transforms into this golden hue with specks of brown throughout. And the smell! Divine!
What is brown butter?
The science behind brown butter lies in a process known as the Maillard reaction. When butter is heated, its milk solids undergo a series of chemical reactions. As the temperature rises, the proteins and sugars in the butter undergo browning, resulting in a complex array of flavour compounds. This reaction releases aromatic compounds, creating those wonderful nutty and caramel-like flavours. Additionally, the high heat causes the water content in butter to evaporate, further intensifying the flavours. The Maillard reaction is responsible for transforming ordinary butter into a rich and delicious ingredient that adds depth and complexity to food.
White chocolate macadamia cookies require a balancing of ingredients to get the perfect bite. White chocolate is quite sweet, so the salt in and on top of the cookie help counteract this. Toasted macadamias are rich and buttery, a flavour that complements that of the brown butter perfectly.
My ideal cookie is crunch on the outside and soft and chewy in the middle and baking for 10-11 minutes will achieve that. If you like the ooziness of chocolate in your cookie, swap out the choc chips for chunks of white chocolate instead.
Watch the White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies recipe video to bake these classic cookies perfectly. If you make this one, don’t forget to tag me on TikTok or Instagram. I love to see it!
📖 Recipe
White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies
Ingredients
- 120 g unsalted butter
- 75 g castor sugar
- 75 g brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon 5g vanilla extract
- 100 g all purpose flour
- 80 g cake flour
- ½ teaspoon 3g baking soda
- ½ teaspoon 3g salt
- 75 g white chocolate chips
- 80 g toasted macadamias chopped
- Flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Add butter to a small saucepan and place over medium heat. Whisk frequently as it melts and keep your eye out for brown specks and a delicious nutty aroma. Once browned, remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
- Preheat oven to 170ºC. Line a tray with baking paper.
- In a bowl add sugars and cooled brown butter. Stir together. Add egg and vanilla extract and mix.
- Add flours, baking soda and salt and fold through until just combined.
- Add white chocolate chips and chopped macadamias to cookie dough and mix through. Cover dough and allow to chill for at least 20 minutes.
- Using an ice cream scoop, scoop balls of dough on to the prepared baking tray (around 50g each). Be careful to not overcrowd – use several trays if necessary. Bake for 10-11 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
Notes
- If you prefer ooziness chocolate in your cookies, substitute the chocolate chips for a block of white chocolate and chop into rough chunks.
Looking for more cookie ideas? Try my brown butter choc chip cookies or chocolate ginger and walnut cookies.
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