White Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies skip the Macadamias

"Oh Macadamia, Oh Macadamia...Wherefore art thou Macadamia?"

I think I have a new love for White Chocolate.  I think it has to do with the fact that I used Ghirardelli White Chocolate Chips.  First time I used their White Chocolate Chips.  For now on it will be the only brand I use.  They were perfect for what I can get easily at the grocery store.

Whether we want to believe it, the holidays are among us.  Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and New Years.  Did I miss one?  As Jerry Seinfeld would put it...  It's Festivus!  So many people are already doing Christmas crafts and baking.  I guess I have fallen into it too.

With this recipe I had a craving for White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies.  Unfortunately Macadamia Nuts were no where to be found, hence my "Wherefore Art Thou Macadamia?".  I went to many stores and didn't find any.  Then finally at the grocery store I saw that the Diamond brand at my grocery store had a little itty bitty bag of chopped Macadamia Nuts, 2 ounces to be exact for almost $6.00.  I just couldn't do it, I couldn't bring my self to spend $6.00 on 2 ounces of nuts no matter how exotic they are.  I had pecans on hand so I thought I would substitute the Macadamias with Pecans.  Turns out it was just perfect!  Though I have to tell you, I went to www.NutsOnline.com and realized that they have a pound of Macadamia Nuts for only about $15.00.  I could not wait for the Macadamias in the mail so I pressed on and made the cookies without them.

I experimented with the cookie dough and realized that it would work with any type of ingredients such as chocolate chips, coconut, toffee, nuts or what suits you in a cookie.  My husband was with a plain face when I told him that I was making White Chocolate Pecan Cookies.  He wanted me to add this and add that.  I decided not to and went with what I wanted but I did however make him something that gave him a little bit of a surprise, that's my next blog....

So here is my turn out of the above cookies.  They are delicious and I am telling you if I was you I would bake no other cookie!

White Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies:
1 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Brown Sugar
2 Sticks of Butter
2 teaspoons of Pure Vanilla Extract
1 Whole Egg
1 Egg Yolk
2 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour
1 1/2 teaspoons of Baking Soda
1 Package (11 ounces) Ghirardelli White Chocolate Chips
1 1/2 Cups of Chopped Pecans (or more)

Preheat oven to 350'F.  Line baking sheets with Parchment Paper.

Cream together the sugars, butter, vanilla until thoroughly combined.  Add eggs and then add your flour and salt and baking soda.  Mix together and then add any thing you want in which case here I added the white chocolate chips and pecans.  I then used a cookie scoop and scooped 2 balls of cookie dough and rolled into a ball and placed onto the cookie sheet.  I placed the cookie sheets in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes that way they would hold a good shape while baking.  The cookies were baked for about 10-12 minutes just until golden brown around the edges.  I like to cut off the baking right when they get lightly browned around the edges so that way they usually finish baking when you get them out of the oven.  Leave them on the cookie sheets until the cookies have cooled.

These cookies are amazing and I going to make these over and over again!  If you do make them please leave a comment and let me know how you liked them!  Enjoy!

Cream the sugars, butter and and vanilla.  Kinda looks like a happy face...lol!

Add other ingredients then add your white chocolate chips and pecans, I love these cute white chocolate chips how they are flatter and are perfect!  Go and get some Ghirardelli!

Oh yes that first bite was yummy!  Perfectly thick and chewy!

Now go and make some!

They are a great substitution for the White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies!

Sweet Dreams!

Annamaria