Tag Archives: Macadamia Nuts

Blondies

lined-up-in-trayAs the aroma of butter and sugar filled the kitchen, my husband magically appeared to find out what was going on. When I revealed that I was baking blondies he looked puzzled. He had no idea what a blondie was. I explained that a blondie is essentially a brownie without the chocolate. His response was “what’s the point of that?”

His response was understandable. There are times when only a deep dark fudgy brownie will satisfy you. But have you considered the fact that without the distraction of chocolate, butter and brown sugar get to be the star? Once the blondies hit the oven, the brown sugar takes on an undertone of butterscotch, with rich caramel notes. The flavours of a blondie are subtle and complex.cut-up-blondiesThe golden top, slightly crispy, gives way to a chewy interior. Studded with white chocolate, macadamia nuts, toffee bits and coconut, these blondies are chock-full of goodness.what-youll-needThese blondies are adapted from Daphna Rabinovitch’s blondie recipe in her comprehensive new cookbook, “The Baker in Me.” It is from Daphna that I first learned about the freakishly delicious combination of white chocolate and macadamia nuts. She was the pastry chef at the take-out food shop I worked in many years ago. I would have happily accepted her white chocolate macadamia nut cookies or skor bar cookies in lieu of a paycheque.spreading-out-batter-in-pancutting-blondies

Click here to print recipe for Blondies.

piled-up-in-glass-stand

Day Three: White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

It seems like only yesterday I was going on about how wonderful it is when a product delivers as promised.  Oh wait, it was yesterday.  Yes people, my wonderful new beater blade has bit the dust.  Serves me right for bragging about it.  On the 10th batch of the Toblerone shortbread I was making, the spout of the bowl I was using to pour the chopped Toblerone into the mixer, accidentally hit the top of the spinning blade and it cracked my wonder blade into several pieces.  All my fault!!  I should have been more careful pouring.  So I had to bake today using my old beater blade and it took way longer than usual because I had to keep stopping the machine to scrape down the sides.  But not to fear, Golda’s Kitchen offers next day delivery so I’ll be back in business again tomorrow.

I got the recipe for these cookies many years ago when I worked at the now defunct David Wood Food Shop, in Toronto.  I was pregnant when I worked there and the pastry chef took pity on me and fed me as many as I could eat. (Which was a considerable amount).  Just knowing these cookies were in the shop made me practically skip to work everyday.  I went through terrible withdrawal when I left to have my baby.

This is an odd recipe as you cream together the butter and brown sugar, but the white sugar gets sifted in with the flour as part of the dry ingredients.  I never really understood why that is and what difference it makes.  But that’s how they made them at David Wood and who am I to mess with perfection?

The recipe instructs you to quarter the macadamia nuts.  Please go ahead and do that if you are that type of person and have the patience.  Truthfully, I just add them whole.  I find that the beater blade breaks them up somewhat and it all works out fine.   I like to use salted macadamia nuts. (I know, what a shock!)

To print the recipe, click here.

The edges get a little bit crunchy and the center is wonderfully chewy.   Macadamia nuts and white chocolate have such a natural affinity for each other.   The little hint of salt from the rich nuts balances the creamy sweetness of the white chocolate.