White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Bars
I’ve got a great bar recipe that is sure to please anyone! I think everyone enjoys the white chocolate and macadamia nut combination. It’s almost as great as peanut butter and chocolate.
I made these to send to Jesse for Round 17 of Operation Baking Gals. One of his favorite cookies is a white chocolate and macadamia nut cookies. I wanted to take that flavor combo and make it in a bar format since I was short on time.
I hit the internet and found this recipe. It’s great. I like to sprinkle the mixins on top of the bars because it adds some texture and really makes the flavor of the mixins pop. I think I’ll be doing it from now on for any brownies or bars that have mixins.
Check out my entire week of bars and brownies here.
White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Bars
Yield: ~48
Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 Tbsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup coarsely chopped macadamia nuts, divided
1 cup white chocolate chips, divided
1 tsp shortening
Directions:
Heat oven to 375. Grease rectangular pan, 13x9x2 inches. Heat butter and brown sugar in 3-quart saucepan over low heat about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until butter is melted; remove from heat.
Beat vanilla and eggs into sugar mixture with electric mixer on medium speed. Beat in flour and baking powder on low speed. Stir in half of the nuts and white chocolate chips. Pour into pan. Sprinkle with remaining nuts and white chocolate chips.
Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until top is golden brown and center is set. Cool about 30 minutes. Cool before cutting.
Recipe adapted from Betty Crocker
I am Jen the Beantown Baker. Engineer by day and baking maven by night. Hubby serves as my #1 fan and official taste tester. We got hitched back in 2006. Barefoot. In the sand. With the waves crashing behind us. It was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. 
Aren’t they the best? They’re so addicting. I’ve actually starting using the same ingredients, but mixing them like a more traditional chocolate chip cookie (i.e., softened butter instead of melted), because I like the dough better with softened butter. The baked cookies were just as good. Best of both worlds!
These look gorgeous. Don’t you just love AB??? 🙂
The cookies look great. I love AB too..he’s such a dork (in a good way).
I love the ATK/CI Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies. I will have to try these to see what I think. I remember seeing that the recipes looked similar so I am sure I will love them.
Another AB lover here. My husband gives me a hard time about my DVR list with him but loves it when I give him a fun tidbit or cook him something from AB.
I completely agree CoCo. Hubby does the same thing. I sometimes even watch episodes I’ve seen before! Hubby doesn’t like to admit it, but he loves AB too. Sometimes he’ll be the one saying “AB says to do this…”
They look SO good!! I am a sucker for a chewy chocolate chip cookie. Although, I must side with your hubby – I prefer mine with just a bit of chocolate.
How much is a stick of butter? I’m not in the US and have never come across this measurement before.
Sorry about that Naomi – 1 stick of butter = 8 Tbsp. Does that help?
this is very similar to the ccc recipe i use, but anything that makes it chewier is good in my books! i will have to keep this one in mind 🙂
Yes Jen, thank you!
Yum! I will definitely be trying these. I always chill my cookie dough too usually because I’m too busy with 3 little ones but I also read that article in the NY times awhile ago and I felt like I deserved a nice big pat on the back for always doing the 24hour chill 🙂 Great post and beautiful cookies!
I love Alton Brown because of his scientific approach to cooking and baking. I’ve been baking “The Chewy” for years. One thing I do differently: Before chilling the dough, I scoop it into balls. This makes the process much easier. Sometimes I freeze the balls for baking later. After I place the balls on parchment, I carefully place a few extra chocolate morsels on top, pointy side up. This extra step produces picture-perfect cookies every time.
The Chewy is my go to recipe for cookies. I make a few alterations, occasionally, such as substituting 1/4 of the brown sugar with dark brown sugar. I bake small portions in mini muffin tins; one batch makes 48 cookie bites that are super chewy and the perfect size bite. I’ve made them every year for Christmas gifts for a few years now.