Chocolate Chip Cookies with Macadamia Nuts

As the mantra from our beloved childhood fuzzball of unidentified ethnicity/genus Cookie Monster says: "C is for cookie, it's good enough for me!" I swear to god, every time I make cookies I sing that to me in the best I can do at an impersonation of his voice and laugh hysterically . I guess I'm easily amused, or slightly weird. Let's stick with easily amused for now...

I decided to make some cookies for a friend of mine who was having people in town and loathes baking, but loves cookies. Since I both fear losing my cookie making skills and love her dearly, I decided I'd make some for her out of towners. And since I'm cut off from sweets for the forseeable future (ahem, wedding dress) they're better off at her house than mine!!

Chocolate Chip Cookies with Macadamia Nuts

-3 cups all-purpose flour

-1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
-1 1/2 teaspoons salt
-2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
-1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
-1 cup granulated sugar

-3 large eggs
-1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
-2 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (16 ounces)

-1 cup chopped macadamia nuts

Directions: 

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F.  Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment or wax paper. Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl.

Beat together butter and sugars in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. 

-Lightly beat 1 egg with a fork in a small bowl and add 1 3/4 tablespoons of it plus 2 remaining whole eggs to butter mixture, beating with mixer until creamy, about 1 minute. Beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low and mix in flour mixture until just blended, then stir in chips and nuts.

-Scoop 1/4 cup batter for each cookie, arranging mounds 3 inches apart, on 2 baking sheets. Flatten mounds into 3-inch rounds using the palm of your hand. Form remaining cookies on additional sheets of parchment.

Bake, 1 sheet at a time, until golden, 13 to 15 minutes. Transfer cookies to a rack to cool and continue making cookies in same manner using cooled baking sheets.

* makes about 25 cookies, store in air- tight container

Buttery macadamia nuts and a good quality chocolate chip make these cookies to die for!

Macadamia nuts are SUPER expensive, but well worth it. I just make sure to really cherish each one when I buy them, and that makes it seem more worthwhile. Enjoy!!