Chocolate Chip Shortbread with macadamia nuts
Melt-in-your-mouth buttery shortbread combined with creamy chocolate chips and bits of crunchy macadamia nuts take these Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies to the next level. Dip them in melted chocolate for even more chocolate goodness.
Servings: 24 cookies
Ingredients
- 8 oz unsalted butter room temperature, 226 g
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar 134 g
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cup all-purpose flour 294 g
- 2 tablespoon malted milk powder 18 g
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt scant
- 1 cup macadamia nuts 141 g
- ½ cup mini chocolate chips 82 g
- Extra sugar for sprinkling
Instructions
- Toast the macadamia nuts in a skillet over medium heat for 3 - 5 minutes until toasty and fragrant. Set aside to cool for 15 - 30 minutes.
- Transfer cooled macadamia nuts to a food processor and pulverize into small pieces no larger than ¼”. You can also chop the nuts on a cutting board with a knife if you don’t have a food processor. Set aside.
- Beat together softened butter, sugar, and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl until combined and fluffy.
- Sift flour and malted milk powder into a small mixing bowl. Stir in salt, chocolate chips and the chopped macadamia nuts. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Mix until a dough forms.
- Scrape the dough out of the bowl onto a piece of plastic wrap, roll into a log about 12” long or divide in half and roll into 2 logs about 6” each. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour. If the dough is too soft at this point, you may want to refrigerate for 30 minutes, reshape the logs to make sure they are round, and freeze for another 30 minutes to speed up the process.
- When the dough is ready, take it out of the refrigerator or freezer and cut it into ½” slices. Place the cookies in a container and freeze for about 15 minutes while the oven is preheating.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- When the oven is ready, place cookies on a parchment lined baking sheet 1” - 2” apart. Sprinkle granulated sugar over the top of cookies generously and bake for 15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 - 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely
- Optional: dip cooled cookies in melted chocolate to add another layer of chocolate flavor.
Notes
- Allow butter to soften at room temperature before making the dough, but make sure you don’t let the butter melt, especially in warmer weather.
- If you accidentally let the butter soften too much, the cookie dough could become slightly a sticky mess. You will need to refrigerate it longer or freeze the dough log before slicing.
- If your butter is not soft enough, the dough might not incorporate well and will be a little sandy, crumbly, like pie dough. Keep beating, the friction from the beater will warm the dough up and help it incorporate.
- Before refrigerating or freezing the dough log, shape it as best as you can and place it on a folded up kitchen towel to try and prevent it from going flat on one side.
- If you want it perfectly round, you will need to keep shaping it and smoothing it during the refrigeration process.
- Freezing the sliced cookies before baking is highly recommended as it will allow them to keep their shape better in the oven.
- If your freezer is not large enough for a baking sheet, freeze the sliced cookies in a smaller container with parchment paper between each layer. Place them on a baking sheet right when you are ready to pop them into the oven.
- This cookie dough freezes well, and is perfect for making ahead. You can bake from frozen for about 2 minutes longer.
Nutrition
Serving: 36g | Calories: 193kcal
