This recipe may seem a little over the top. Ahem, I mean extra. This is 2018, after all. But I’m making no apologies for these beauties, and neither should you. These are one of the easiest treats you could ever make, and they totally pack a flavor punch. If you’re tired of regular ol’ chocolate chip cookies. Or just cookies in general. Time to pop these suckers into your oven.
First, you’ve got to learn how to brown butter. Start by putting butter in a light-colored saucepan (avoid anything dark because it becomes too hard to tell the color of the butter as you go) and over medium heat, let it toast to a nutty, brown color. Browning the butter gives it sooo much flavor. This is exactly what we want as the delicious base in these cookie bars.
Next stop, macadamia nuts. Give them a rough chop and try not to eat too many in the process. Then toss in some white chocolate chips. By some, I mean the whole freaking bag. Did I say I wasn’t messing around here?
The benefit of making these cookie bars is that there’s no baking batch after batch of cookies, yet the result is just the same. Have I talked you into making these yet?
Here’s the recipe for you!
Browned Butter Macadamia Cookie Bars
Easy but flavorful alternative to regular ol' chocolate chip cookies.
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup unsalted butter (10 2/3 tbsp)
- 2 cups + 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 large eggs
- 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups white chocolate chips
- 1 cups macadamia nuts, roughly chopped
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch cake pan and set aside.
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In a light-colored saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Allow butter to brown in the saucepan, until the butter has a nutty aroma and is about the color of graham crackers. Remove from heat and place in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Add dark brown sugar, salt, and vanilla and stir until just combined. If mixture is not cool at this point, allow it to sit for a few minutes until cool.
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Add eggs one at a time, making sure to scrape the bowl and beat well after each egg. Turn off the mixer and add the flour and baking powder. Mix on low until just combined, then add the white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts. Mix until the chips and nuts are evenly distributed.
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Scoop batter into prepared pan and distribute evenly with a spatula. Bake 30-35 minutes until the top is shiny. A toothpick inserted halfway between the side of the pan and the middle of the pan should come out clean. The batter in the middle of the pan will most likely not be set up, and that is completely fine. It will set up as the bars cool down.
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Using a heatproof spatula, press down on the edges of the cookie bars. This will make sure they are nice and even across the top. Allow the bars to completely cool before cutting. You can even let them set overnight, if you can wait that long. Cut cookie bars can be wrapped and stored in an airtight container for up to two days.
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