Chocolate Brownie Cookies with White Chocolate and Roasted Macadamia Nuts

I can't believe  how fast time passes. The days are getting longer, Valentine's day came and went, my baby girl is soooo not a baby anymore, and my three year old son is using words like "actually" and "appreciation." What the heck happened? Time is flying by way too fast. Before I know it I will be eight-two sitting on my front porch telling my grand-children about the days when we all used to watch these silly TV shows about "reality." Until then, there are brownie cookies, white chocolate and macadamia nuts. Believe me, these cookies will make time stand still, if only for a minute. 

Ingredients are a plenty. A good use for the accidental purchase of macadamia nuts. My husband thought they were Marcona almonds...oops. But I put them too good use in these cookies. The crunchy nuts with the sweet chewy cookie are just about the best ever. 

 Chopped bittersweet chocolate into chunks. Ready to melt

 

 Melted butter and chocolate added to the flour mixture. The white chocolate chunks and nuts are then folded in.

 The cookies are soft and almost like a brownie meets fudge and says hello to some crazy nuts. They last a long time covered at room temperature and will definitely make you stop and enjoy this busy word we all walk around on. Enjoy! 

Chocolate Brownie Cookies with White Chocolate and Roasted Macadamia Nuts
From Joy the Baker Cookbook

Makes about 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients

8 oz bittersweet chocolate chopped into chunks
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs
3/4 cup white chocolate chips or white chocolate chunks chopped
3/4 cup macadamia nuts, roasted and salted

Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Simmer 2 inches of water in a saucepan. Place bittersweet chocolate and butter in the a medium heat proof bowl and place the bowl over the simmering water to create a double boiler. Melt the chocolate and butter together until all the butter is melted. Remove from the simmering water and stir until the chocolate is completely melted. Allow to the chocolate to cool.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

Whisk the sugar, espresso powder (if you are using it) and vanilla extract into the warm chocolate mixture. Whisk in the eggs one at a time, until well incorporated. Then add the chocolate mixture, all at once, to the flour mixture. Fold until the flour just begins to disappear into the chocolate mixture. Add the white chocolate and nuts. Fold well.

Dollop the cookies by the tablespoon onto the cookie sheets. Bake for about 10-11 minutes. The cookies will be slightly underdone. That is OK. Let the cookies rest on the sheet for about 5 minutes before removing them to a cooling rack. Cookies can be kept in an airtight container for about 5 days.
Enjoy!