Aloha Friday Recipe: Chocolate Macadamia Nut Shortbread Cookies

June 13th, 2008

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 2 cups flour, sifted
• 1 1/2 tsp. shortening
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup Unsalted Mauna Loa Macadamia Nuts (coarsely chopped)
• 1/4 cup Unsalted Mauna Loa Macadamia Nuts (finely chopped)
• 1 cup chocolate chips

In large bowl, cream butter, sugar and vanilla together. Slowly stir in flour until well blended. Add coarsely chopped macadamia nuts. On waxed paper shape cookie dough into a roll approximately two inches in diameter. Roll waxed paper around dough then wrap the roll in aluminum foil. Place in refrigerator, chilling at least 2 hours or more.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Remove chilled cookie dough and cut roll into slices between 1/4 and 1/2 inch thick. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake for approximately 20 minutes or until they turn golden brown around the edges.

While cookies cool on a wire rack, pour 1/4 cup finely chopped macadamia nuts into small bowl. Melt chocolate chips in a bowl in microwave. Add shortening to warm, melted chocolate chips, blending well. Dip one end of each cookie into chocolate, then into the finely chopped macadamia nuts and place on wax paper. Refrigerate cookies until chocolate hardens. Store in cool place.

Recipe courtesy Mauna Loa Nuts