White Chocolate Cranberry Macadamia Nut Cookies

These WHITE CHOCOLATE CRANBERRY MACADAMIA NUT COOKIES are the perfect Christmas cookie! Soft and chewy on the inside, slightly crispy on the edges, and the tart cranberries paired with decadent white chocolate are the perfect holiday touch!

Friends, before we get to the sweets, I have some exciting news to share.

I HAVE A REAL CHRISTMAS TREE!!! {insert every celebratory, excited emoji here}.

I know, I know.  Not exciting for all you people who have had one every year your entire life.  Thanks for depriving me of that Christmas magic, mom and dad.  (Only kidding!!  That would upset my mom.  I was allergic to them when I was little, so my family opted for an artificial tree.)

But now that I’m a real grown up and not allergic, Nick and I made the trek (okay, 5 minutes, tops) to good ole Lowe’s and cut down (picked out) the most beautiful Noble tree on the lot (parking lot).  And now my house smells like I always thought Christmas should.  (Joking again, mom).

All kidding aside, this year will be our first married Christmas and it has been SO. FUN.  Picking out the tree, decorating, watching Christmas movies (Elf and Christmas Vacation are on repeat at our house), carriage ride light-looking and ugly-sweater traditions with friends… the list goes on!  I’m also excited to honor some of our beloved traditions from childhood and, as a new little family unit, establish our very own traditions.  I’m still trying to convince Nick to wear matching Christmas pajamas with me, so I’ll let you know how that goes. 🙂

Now for the good stuff… White Chocolate Cranberry Macadamia Nut Cookies!  We need a nickname for those, that’s a mouthful.

They are inspired by Trisha Yearyood’s recipe, but I use the base of my favorite chocolate chip cookies (coming soon!).  It uses a combination of bread and cake flours to achieve a chewy, yet delicate texture… slightly crispy on the edges and soft in the center.  Nerd alert: cake flour has a low protein content and very fine texture, while bread flour has the highest protein percentage (12 to 14) of flours.  I’m not a food chemist, but I do know that resulting texture is PERFECT.

The tartness of the dried cranberries pairs perfectly with the decadent, smooth white chocolate, but the macadamia nuts take it over the top!!  They add the perfect amount of crunch and a slight nutty flavor to complement the sweetness of the white chocolate.

A few important notes- don’t skip these in the recipe!

• The dough needs to chill at least 24 hours (or up to 72 hours) before baking.  I’ve made them before the 24 hour mark before, and trust me friends, they are worth the wait.  I’m a planner (typical type-A baker) and I personally love recipes like this- it breaks up the work and your kitchen is much more manageable when it comes to cleaning. 🙂
• Let the dough sit out at least 20 minutes after pulling it out of the fridge.  Again, I’ve made this mistake before, and I’m just looking out for ya!

This recipe is pretty much Christmas in a cookie, and would be perfect for your holiday cookie exchange!!  Follow me on Pinterest and check out my Holiday Cookie Exchange Board for more fun ideas!

So what are you favorite Christmas/Holiday traditions?!  I would love to know!

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White Chocolate Cranberry Macadamia Nut Cookies

These WHITE CHOCOLATE CRANBERRY MACADAMIA NUT COOKIES are the perfect Christmas cookie! Soft and chewy on the inside, slightly crispy on the edges, and the tart cranberries paired with decadent white chocolate are the perfect holiday touch!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Christmas cookies, cranberry cookies

Prep Time 1 day

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 day 1 hour

Servings 30 giant cookies

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups 2.5 sticks unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 1 1/4 cups light brown sugar
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 eggs room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups minus 2 tablespoons cake flour
• 1 2/3 cups bread flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 1/2 cups macadamia nuts chopped
• 1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 cups dried cranberries

Instructions

1. Sift together the cake flour, bread flour, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Set aside.
2. Cream together the butter and both sugars on medium speed (I use paddle attachment on my mixer) until very light and fluffy- about 5 minutes.
3. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
4. Add the vanilla and mix well.
5. Reduce the mixer speed to LOW and gradually add the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
6. Using a spatula, fold in the macadamia nuts, white chocolate chips, and cranberries.
7. Press plastic wrap against the dough and refrigerate for 24 hours, or up to 72 hours.
8. When ready to bake, remove and let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.
9. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or nonstick baking mat.
10. Using a large cookie dough scoop, roll dough into a ball (should be the size of a large golf ball) and place onto baking sheet. Repeat until you have six balls of dough on the baking sheet (spread out so they don't bake together).
11. Bake for 14 minutes, or until cookies are golden brown on the edges but very soft looking in the centers.
12. Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.
13. Repeat with remaining dough.
14. Store in airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.