These cookies are crisp on the outside but soft and chewy on the inside. I love the sweetness of the white chocolate combined with roastiness of the macadmia nuts.
These cookies were baked from leftover dough I had in the freezer. I’ve been meaning to post this recipe for a while, but it needed some adjustments . There are some important notes in regards to the flour blend, resting time and baking temperature.
- This recipe comes together easily by hand since it uses melted butter. Whilst browning the butter can provide a deeper flavour, I personally do not think this is necessary.
- The ratio of brown sugar to caster sugar is pivotal in providing that crisp edge and chewy interior.
- These cookies use a combination of brown rice flour, potato starch and tapioca starch. I find that brown rice flour is highly variable depending on the brand. The original recipe I developed had almost double the amount of brown rice flour. However, when I purchased a different brown rice flour, that recipe did not work as the flour was finer and more powdery, and the dough was far too dry. This particular recipe is based on the finer brown rice flour, so I hopefully it works for you.
- I like to use good-quality white chocolate chopped into chunks rather than chocolate chips. I also recommend roasting the macadmia nuts at 180°C for 8-10 minutes and giving them a mix halfway through.
Baking notes continued:
- The most important part of this recipe is refrigerating the dough for at least 2 hours. This is because it allows the flavour to develop but also affects the appearance and texture of the cookies. I recommend resting the dough overnight, then leaving it at room temperature for about 30 minutes so it is easier to portion and roll into balls. If the dough is not cool enough and feels quite greasy, then you will end up with a flat and crinkly cookie. After the dough is rolled into balls and placed onto a tray, I recommend putting the tray in the refrigerator whilst you portion the remaining dough. They would then be ready to bake.
- Before these cookies are baked, I like to add some extra white chocolate and macadmia on top of the balls of dough. This is to ensure you can actually see chocolate chunks and the chopped nuts.
- I find that gluten-free cookies tend to brown quite quickly on the bottom. Other recipes typically involve the usual oven temperature of 180°C or even 200°C. However, I find these temperatures to be far too high and recommend baking these at 160°C (conventional oven). It might be different for your oven and could take some experimentation to find the ideal temperature.
- I recommend baking only one tray at a time (the remaining dough balls can be refrigerated in the meantime).
Final notes:
- The dough can be rolled into balls and frozen for up to 2 months. The same baking instructions apply, but I like to place the balls on a tray and leave them at room temperature for about 30 minutes as the oven preheats. This is because if the dough is too frozen, the bottom will brown before the cookie has a chance to spread.
- The cookies are ready when they are golden brown on the outside but quite soft in the centre. It is important that the cookies are cooled completely on the tray. This allows them to set and gain that a crispy exterior (they will also deflate slightly).
I love the combination of white chocolate and macadamia, but you can incorporate whatever you like into the dough. For classic chocolate chip cookies, I like to use chopped milk and dark chocolate.
I hope you enjoy the recipe, and let me know if you have any questions.
Gluten-free White Chocolate and Macadamia Cookies
Ingredients
- 125g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 100g brown sugar
- 50g caster sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 100g brown rice flour
- 50g potato starch
- 20g tapioca starch
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
- 200g white chocolate, roughly chopped
- 100g roasted macadamia nuts, roughly chopped
Method
- In a medium bowl, combine the melted butter, brown sugar and caster sugar. Whisk until well combined.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract. Whisk vigorously until the mixutre is slightly lightened and pale in colour, about 1-2 minutes.
- In a seperate bowl, combine the brown rice flour, potato starch, tapioca starch, baking powder, baking soda, salt and xanthan gum. Add the dry ingredients to the butter and egg mixutre, and fold until no streaks of flour remain. Add the chopped chocolate and macadmia nuts, and fold until evenly incorporated (make sure to save some chocolate and nuts for topping the cookies later).
- Cover and refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours or up to 4 days.
- Preheat the oven to 160°C. Line 2-3 baking trays with baking paper.
- Roll about 2 tbsp of cookie dough into balls and place onto prepared tray. Make sure to leave about 5cm in between each. Top each cookie with remaining chocolate and nuts.
- Bake the cookies for about 10-13 minutes. They should be golden on the outside but soft in the centre. For a more crispy cookie, bake them for less longer.
- Allow the cookies to cool completely on the tray. Repeat the baking process with remaining cookies.