Lime Coconut White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
Phew, that was a long title. But these cookies deserve it. Now before you go clicking away because this recipe doesn’t include real chocolate, let it be known that I, a dark chocolate is aways better kind of gal, really love these cookies. I bookmarked them a few weeks ago because they sounded like an interesting variation to the monotony of chocolate chip, but when the weather reached 80 degrees in March (in Ohio!), I really had no choice but to make tropical cookies. I also reasoned that since I’m not a huge white chocolate-macadamia nut lover, these cookies would be safe to have around the house. Ha. I wish I could tell you that I didn’t eat 6 for breakfast one day.
After that incident, I was almost afraid to make them again, but I also felt guilty letting the left over macadamia nuts go to waste (they were the most expensive part of the cookie). So I decided to make a half batch the second time around. Well wouldn’t you know- when I went to toast the leftover macadamia nuts, I burnt them to a crisp. I swear, one moment they were white, and 20 seconds later they were black. What can I say, “I got it from my momma”. Toasting nuts just isn’t in our blood :-). But since I had all the other ingredients mixed together, I decided to improvise with some slivered almonds. The cookies still turned out pretty amazing so if you are trying to cut cost, try some slivered almonds as a substitute. Also don’t be afraid (like I was) about putting 2 tablespoon of lime zest, you need at least the entire rind from one lime just to get some lime flavor. If you can imagine what a lime pina colada would taste like, I think it would be these cookies. They will definitely be making a reappearance this summer – barbecues, pool parties, breakfasts, etc.
Lime Coconut White Chip Macadamia Nut Cookies
- 2 cups flour, spooned lightly into measuring cups and leveled with knife
- 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon table salt
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled until luke warm
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup chopped white chocolate or white chocolate chips
- 1 cup coconut (toasted or untoasted)
- 1 cup toasted macadamia nuts
- 1 1/2-2 tablespoons grated lime zest (1-2 limes)
Melt 10 tablespoons of the unsalted butter, then add the remaining two tablespoons and stir until smooth (This helps the butter return to room temperature quickly).
Heat oven to 325 degrees. Mix flour, salt, and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.
Either by hand or with electric mixer, mix butter and sugars until thoroughly blended. Mix in egg, yolk, and vanilla. Add dry ingredients; mix until combined.
Add white chocolate chips, coconut, macadamia nuts, and lime zest. Mix to distribute.
Scoop cookie dough into large balls and place on parchment lined baking sheets. Bake until cookies are set around outer edges, yet centers are still soft and puffy, and appear slightly under-baked, about 10-12 minutes. Cool cookies on cookie sheets for a few minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack.
Source: Our Best Bites
Samoas Cupcakes
After 2 weeks of “summer vacation”, it’s back to the (harsh) reality of 3rd year – but don’t worry about me, because these cupcakes made life better. The last day of break happened to fall on our friends Kat’s and Griffin’s birthday, which obviously called for celebration. I decided to make these cupcakes because both of them happen to love samoas. I’m a thin mint/tagalong girl myself, but I have the unique ability to see the good in just about any cookie :-). I thought these cupcakes turned out delicious, but I think if you are really trying to perfectly replicate a samoas you might want to add try making a filled cupcake with toasted coconut and caramel.
These cupcakes turned out to be much simpler to make than my endeavor of chocolate chip cookie dough cupcakes, but I still found it helpful to make the cupcakes one day and then to ice them the next. I didn’t want to make them too far in advance for fear of dryness, but I shouldn’t have been worried because these are unbelievably moist. The only qualm I had was that the cupcake itself isn’t particularly sturdy for the heaviness of a caramel icing. I later found out that putting them in the fridge before serving really helped the overall texture. The only other change I would make in the future is to use 2 cupcake liners for each cupcake, because the batter is very thin, so tends to wash out the colors of the cupcake liner. I think baking these using 2 liners would really give it a perfect finish.
For the Cupcakes
- 2 cups sugar
- 1-3/4 cup flour
- 3/4 cup Cocoa (I used Hershey’s special dark)
- 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 teaspoons coconut flavoring
- 1 cup coconut, packed
- 1 (scant) cup boiling water
1. Preheat oven to 350° and line 24 muffin tins with cupcake liners.
2. In a large bowl, combine sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
3. Add in eggs, milk, oil, vanilla, and coconut flavoring. Mix well.
4. Fold in coconut, then add boiling water. (Batter will be very thin)
5. Pour batter into muffin tins, filling each cup no more than 3/4 full. Bake at 350° for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool for several minutes, but then remove cupcakes from tins on cool on a wire rack.
For the Salted Caramel Buttercream
- 2 sticks butter, softened
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup caramel topping, plus more for drizzling (I used butterscotch caramel)
- 1 pound powdered sugar (about 4 cups)
- 1 teaspoon salt
1. Cream butter until fluffy.
2. Add in vanilla extract and caramel topping. Add powdered sugar and salt and mix until smooth. If icing is still too thin add a bit more powdered sugar (the consistency differs based on the type of caramel topping you use)
3. Wait until cupcakes are completely cool, and use a pastry bag with a 1M tip to ice the cupcakes.
For the Homemade Chocolate Syrup
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder (I used Hershey’s special dark)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup cold water
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1. Combine all ingredients except vanilla extract in a small saucepan over medium-heat, and whisk until smooth.
2. Bring sauce to a boil and continue to whisk until sauce becomes thick. Remove from heat, let cool slightly and drizzle over cupcakes or store in an airtight container in the fridge until needed.
To Finish: Top cupcakes with toasted coconut and using small squeeze bottles (or simply a spoon) drizzle with chocolate sauce and remaining caramel sauce.
Slightly adapted from The Novice Chef
Spice Is Nice 