white chocolate-chunk blondies

 

People. These are the jam. Make these immediately. Just don't count on them being great for your bikini. But it doesn't matter ... they're that good. Go!

 

White Chocolate-Chunk Blondies

• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the pan  
• 1 cup walnut pieces
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 6 ounces white chocolate, cut into chunks
• Vanilla ice cream, for topping

1. Make the blondies: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Pulse 1/2 cup walnuts in a food processor until almost fine (do not overprocess). Whisk the ground nuts, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.  
2. Beat 10 tablespoons butter and the brown sugar with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula. Beat in the vanilla. Gradually beat in the dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in the white chocolate and the remaining 1/2 cup walnuts.
3. Spread the batter in the prepared pan and bake until the blondies are light brown around the edges and spring back when pressed, about 30 minutes. (Do not overbake or they will be fluffy and not dense, which is the way you want them!) Cool slightly on a rack.
4. Cut into large bars. Serve warm topped with ice cream.

white chocolate-macadamia nut cookies

The credit for these really goes to my sister-in-law. Her husband (the coconut-hater), adores these cookies and so do I. The key to these is to use a really good quality white chocolate. They taste like butter and white chocolate - probably because there is so much of both in them - and are sinfully good. Make these when you have company so you're not forced to eat them all by yourself, or stick half of the baked cookies or batter in the freezer for another time. These are a splurge, so enjoy in moderation.

White Chip Macadamia Cookies
Ingredients

• 2 cups white chocolate chips
• 1 cup butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cups macadamia pieces, coarsely chopped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. In medium-size bowl, beat butter with brown sugar at medium speed until creamy and lightened in color, about 4 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating at low speed until combined. Add vanilla. Add flour, baking powder, and salt to creamed mixture, and fold until combined. Fold in chips and macadamia pieces.
2. Drop heaping tablespoons of dough onto a cookie sheet. Bake ~10 minutes until the edges are just starting to brown. Remove from oven and allow to set 3-4 minutes before moving to a cooling rack.

Need other cookie ideas? Check these out:

• Fudgy white-chocolate chip cookies
• Dark-chocolate cranberry cookies
• Nutty oatmeal cookies

fudgy white-chocolate chunk cookies

Start with 8 oz. of chopped white chocolate (I was a little short, so I had to supplement with some extra milk chocolate). Melt 7 oz of baking semi-sweet chocolate in the microwave, stirring every :30 until it's creamy.

On medium mixer speed, cream 1/4 c softened butter and 3/4 c brown sugar. Add two eggs and one tsp vanilla. On low speed, add 1/2 c. flour and 1/4 tsp baking powder. Add the melted chocolate.

Stir in by hand the chopped chocolate and one cup of chopped walnuts (if you skip the nuts, increase the flour by 1/4 c).

Drop 1/8 - 1/4 c spoonfuls of batter on to an ungreased baking sheet. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 13-15 minutes; allow to cool for a few before eating.

Note: The batter and cookies do freeze. Just cut off chunks of the frozen dough and bake without thawing.