Recently a great friend of mine took a family vacation to Hawaii. There was surfing, snorkeling, and general beach frolicking in paradise, plus plenty of relaxing in the sunshine. But the best part of this family trip was that my dear friend returned with a rejuvenated spirit and bearing gifts! I was the lucky recipient of a pound of fresh-off-the-island macadamia nuts. I quickly got busy creating a tropical themed cookie. I love the salty and sweet combination of the nuts along with the surprise of the dried fruit, a little sweet inspiration for the sunny days coming our way.
Enjoy!
Tropical Cookie Delights
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks of unsalted butter – room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon vanilla
6 oz white chocolate, chopped
3 dried pineapple rings, chopped
3 dried mango spears, chopped
1 cup sweet shredded coconut
1 cup chopped macadamia nuts
Pre-heat oven to 350.
In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt.
Using a large mixing bowl or the bowl for your standing mixer, cream the butter with the sugars until light and fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla. Mix until just combined.
Add flour mixture and mix. Stir in the white chocolate, dried fruit, coconut and nuts. Mix until all ingredients are dispersed throughout dough.
Allow the dough to rest for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator; this allows all the marvelous flavors to marry.
Scoop out dough into desired size. I like to use an ice cream scooper. Bake on a parchment-lined cookie sheet for 10-12 minutes, depending on the size of your cookie, or until golden brown and looking delicious.
Allow the cookies to cool prior to eating. This simple step will prevent scorching your mouth and thus affecting your palate.
Enjoy!
Andrea Charroin was a trained baker and pastry chef in San Francisco before she and her family moved to Redding 11 years ago. After falling in love with Redding’s downtown, Andrea and husband Westley opened a little pastry shop, Rene-Joule Patisserie, across from the Cascade Theatre. For the three years Rene-Joule was in business, it was renowned for making everything from scratch, using the best ingredients and keeping with a seasonal menu. To this day, Andrea is asked about her Marathon Bars, Orange Twists and sourdough bread.
Copyright 2009 Andrea R. Charroin. Visit her blog at bakerslove.typepad.com
