12 Days of Christmas Cookies. Day 5.

Coconut Macadamia Shortbread.  Ahhhh....Coconut and Macadamia Nuts.  It didn't take long to decide that this shortbread would be included in the 12 days.  Two of my all time favorite ingredients.  This shortbread recipe is from Martha Stewart's book  "Cookies".   It's a wonderful change of pace from the usual "shortbread" to combine these two decadent flavors. 


A bit about macadamia nuts.  The rich, delicate, buttery flavor of these nuts is truly one of life's little luxuries.  The first Macadamia tree came to Hawaii from Australia in 1881.  The trees take seven years to produce a crop.  *So* worth the wait.  The shell is difficult to crack and due to the labor involved in shelling the nuts and the tropical environment required to grow them, they are traditionally more expensive than other nuts.  Alot of people steer clear of them as they believe they are laden with fat and cholesterol.  While they have a high fat content, they are a monosaturated fat, which is the "good fat", which, like walnuts/almonds is shown to reduce cholesterol when eaten in moderation.  I have always used the "Mauna Loa" brand that I get at Costco.  They are lightly sea-salted and worth every calorie.

For those of us who need a little island "escape" this holiday season, these cookies will get you there.  Mele Kalikimaka, everyone.

Coconut Macadamia Shortbread
from Martha Stewart's "Cookies"
makes about 2 1/2 dozen


1 cup macadamia nuts, toasted
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temp
4 tablespoons cream of coconut or unsalted butter
2 teaspoons pure coconut extract
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 large egg white, lightly beaten


1.  Process nuts and 2 tablespoons sugar in the food processor until finely ground; set aside.  Process 1 cup coconut until coarsely ground; set aside.


2.  Put butter, cream of coconut, and remaining 3/4 cup sugar in the bowl of electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; beat on medium til pale and fluffy, about 2 min.  Mix in coconut extract. Reduce speed to low. Add flour, salt, nut mixture, and ground coconut mix until combined. 


3.  Halve dough. Shape halves into disks, and wrap well in plastic.  Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. 


4.  Let dough soften before rolling. Roll out each disk on lightly floured parchment to 1/4 inch thick. Cover with plastic; refrigerate until firm, 30 minutes. 


5.  Preheat oven to 325. Cut dough into squares using cookie cutter (2 1/4 inch).  Reroll scraps; continue cutting out squares.  Space about 1 inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment. Lightly brush tops with beaten egg white;sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup coconut.  Bake until golden, 20-25 min, rotating sheets 1/2 way.  Let cool on sheets on wire racks.  Cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temp up to 1 week.