01-22-14-cookies

 

We’re having a cookie contest at work next month so I thought I had better start getting prepared. There’s some tough competition in that place!

We bake a ton of cookies every year, but trying to come up with one cookie for a contest can be rather daunting. It needs to be slightly over-the-top.

I’ve actually been thinking about this concept for a while since getting the idea from a cookie I saw in La Cucina Italiana and finally decided to give it a try, tonight. I think with a couple of little tweaks, it’s a winner!

The cookie is lemon and macadamia nut. It has a bright, crisp flavor on its own, but paired with the blueberry creme filling and a dunk of white chocolate, it shoots right up to the top of the class. I know it had both of us calling for more!

You should make the filling first, since it really needs to refrigerate a couple of hours before putting everything together.

Macadamia Lemon Cookies with Blueberry Creme

filling:

  • 1 cup blueberries
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 4 tbsp butter
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch

cookies:

  • 1/3 cup macadamia nuts, finely ground
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 sticks butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 large egg white
  • Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

topping:

  • 6oz white chocolate
  • 1 tbsp neutral oil

filling:

In a small saucepan, combine blueberries, sugar and 2 tbsp water. Bring to a boil, then cook, stirring frequently, about 2 minutes. Stir in butter until melted and combined. Use an immersion blender or transfer to a blender and purée until smooth. Place in a heatproof medium bowl. In another bowl, whisk together eggs, lemon juice and cornstarch.

Add water to a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Set bowl with blueberry purée over but not touching water. Slowly whisk egg mixture into purée.  Keep whisking until filling is smooth and thickened. Cover and chill until thick – at least 2 hours or overnight.

cookies:

Preheat oven to 350º.

Cream sugar and butter.  Add nuts, flour, salt, egg white, and zest; blend until a soft dough forms.

Form dough into 1-inch balls and place 2″ apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Flatten balls to 1/4 inch thick. Bake cookies until lightly golden on bottom, about 12 minutes. Cool cookies completely.

Spread half the cookie bottoms with blueberry creme. Sandwich with remaining cookies.

topping:

Place white chocolate in double boiler. Add 1 tbsp oil and slowly melt, stirring occasionally.

Freeze cookies on sheet pan about 10 minutes and then dip half of each cookie in white chocolate.

I’m heading into the kitchen for another…