(Disappearing) White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

Continuing my strange cravings for chocolate and nuts…

I decided I wanted white chocolate macadamia nut cookies. I NEEDED white chocolate macadamia nut cookies. But I didn’t just stop there, I wanted to make my own vegan white chocolate as well. Ever since I saw the recipe over atBitterSweet, I knew I had to try it. I bought some cocoa butter and soymilk powder, waited far too long for them to arrive (needless to say this has been a long craving in the works). It was surprisingly easy to make, and when I chopped it up for the cookies and popped a few bites in my mouth, was ridiculously delicious. Definitely not the cheap white chocolate you’re used to buying in the stores.

When the cookies finally came out of the oven, the delicious cookies I had been craving for so long, I eagerly bit into one. And bit again. And again. Where was the white chocolate? I was getting crunchy bites of macadamia nut, but that creamy concoction I had sampled earlier? Nowhere to be found.

Hence the ‘disappearing’ white chocolate in the title of this post.

Yup, vanished. Melted into oblivion.

The cookies were surprisingly good, nonetheless, which is why I’m repeating the recipe here, but I’ve got to figure out where I went wrong with the white chocolate – what I need to change about it so that it actually lasts 10 minutes in a hot oven.

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

Makes approximately 2-3 dozen cookies. Recipe from Betty Crocker.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 ounces white baking bars (white chocolate), cut into 1/4- to 1/2-inch chunks
3 1/2 ounces (about 1/2 cup) macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped

DIRECTIONS
Heat oven to 350°F. Beat sugars, butter, shortening, vanilla and egg in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, or mix with spoon. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt (dough will be stiff). Stir in white baking bar chunks and nuts.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until light brown. Cool 1 to 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.