One of the very first things I made at culinary school was chocolate chip cookies. Back then, I thought, everyone knows how to make that, right? Wrong. Apparently, there is more science to making the perfect chocolate chip cookie than I imagined. After trying out one of our chefs’ recipes, a favorite of Chef Reyes, I was forever won-over on chocolate chip cookies, especially with mac-nuts added (which was the chefs’ weakness since she was from Hawaii). She would make enormous batches of these cookies and they all disappeared just like that! As a home-chef this gave me an idea. Why not make a larger batch of dough, scoop, flatten, and freeze whatever won’t be baked that day and have ready-prepped cookies, to be freshly baked, always on hand?
- 1 ½ Cups Macadamia Nuts, toasted
- 5 ounces (1 cup) Brown Sugar
- 5 ounces (1 cup) Cane Sugar
- 14 ounces (3 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 4 Eggs
- 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 Pound (4 Cups) Bread Flour
- 4 Ounces (1 cup) Almond Meal
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 Pound (2 ½ cups) Chocolate Chips
- Cream the butter and both sugars with the paddle attachment of your mixer very well, 5-8 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and mix an additional 2 minutes.
- Meanwhile, toast the macadamia nuts at 350 F for 5-10 minutes until lightly golden and fragrant. Let cool then coarsely chop. If using already roasted nuts, there’s no need to toast.
- Add beaten eggs and vanilla extract gradually with the mixer on low and beat on medium speed for about 1 minute or until the eggs are incorporated.
- Combine the flour, salt and baking soda. Add to the creamed butter mixture. Mix for about 1-2 minutes to develop the gluten=chewier cookies.
- Add the chopped macadamia nuts and chocolate chips.
- Using an ice cream scoop or 2 tablespoons, scoop the cookie dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Freeze for 30 minutes. Flatten each cookie with the palm of your hand.
- The cookies can be baked right away or frozen with parchment in between in ziplock bags or a large container. When you are ready to bake, no need to defrost, just place the flattened frozen cookies on a lined baking sheet and bake in a preheated 350 F oven for 6 minutes, then turn the pan around and bake for an additional 6-8 minutes.
- Lastly, savor and enjoy!
I also like to add a tablespoon of ground flax, psyllium husks, and hemp seeds.
Step by Step Photos
Cream the butter and both sugars with the paddle attachment of your mixer very well, 5-8 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and mix an additional 2 minutes.
I used roasted and halved macadamia nuts and prefer to leave them that size. If using whole, raw nuts, toast them at 350 F for 5-10 minutes until lightly golden and fragrant. Let cool then coarsely chop.
Add beaten eggs and vanilla extract gradually with the mixer on low and beat on medium speed for about 1 minute or until the eggs are incorporated.
Combine the flour, salt and baking soda. Add to the creamed butter mixture. Mix for about 1-2 minutes to develop the gluten=chewier cookies.
Add the chopped macadamia nuts and chocolate chips.
Using an ice cream scoop or 2 tablespoons, scoop the cookie dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
Freeze for 30 minutes. Flatten each cookie with the palm of your hand.
The cookies can be baked right away or frozen with parchment in between in ziplock bags or a large container. When you are ready to bake, no need to defrost, just place the flattened frozen cookies on a lined baking sheet and bake in a preheated 375 F oven for 5 minutes, then turn the pan around and bake for an additional 5-8 minutes.
Lastly, savor and enjoy!
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