1. My grandpa made awesome cookies and swore by salted butter.
2. Sift the flour to create an airy cookie.
3. Most important: ALWAYS undercook. If the cookies look done in the oven they are overcooked. Pull them out early when edges just begin to brown and allow to finish cooking out of the oven on the pan.
WINE: EQUINOX CHAMPAGNE, SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS
I decided a bubbly would be a nice pairing with these cookies. Mike and I had purchased a bottle of the Equinox Champagne from the wine maker himself. We liked how this bubbly was a nice balance between sweet and dry. It also has subtle almond notes without any addition of almond extract. I think a sparkling wine that was a little sweeter like a nice extra dry Prosecco would have been a better match. Regardless it was fun to drink some bubbly and eat cookies with good friends!
Labels on Sparking Wine are quite confusing. A brut has less sugar than an extra dry. In order of least sugar to most sugar, sparkling wines may be labeled…
1. Brut Nature or Extra Brut (these are the only kind that will have no sugar, but may have a tiny amount)
2. Brut
3. Extra Dry, Extra Sec or Extra Seco
4. Dry, Sec or Seco
5. Semi-Sweet, Demi-Sec or Semi-Seco
6. Sweet, Doux or Dulce
RECIPE: WHITE CHOCOLATE MACADAMIA NUT COOKIES
Serving: Makes ~24 cookies
Ingredients:
• 1/3 cup shortening
• 1/3 cup salted butter, softened (not melted—this will result in a flat cookie)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 ½ cup flour
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 oz macadamia nuts
• 6 oz. white chocolate chips
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Cream together shortening, butter, sugar and brown sugar in a large bowl.
3. Add egg and vanilla, blending well.
4. Sift flour, salt and baking soda into bowl. Mix well.
5. Fold macadamia nuts and white chocolate chips in dough.
6. I use a rounded tablespoon to spoon dough onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.
7. Bake for 9- 10 minutes. Remove cookies when the edges begin to brown. Cookies will not look done. Leave on cookie sheet for ~5 minutes as they finish cooking.
Great and informative post, Ginger. I personally thought this pairing was DIVINE! The dry characteristics of the bubbly balances the sweet and savory qualities of the cookies. I have a difficult time with overly sweet desserts, so I felt the bubbly refreshed my palate nicely before the next bite. Additionally, the macadamia nuts in the cookies helped to enhance the mild nutty flavor of the sparkling wine. All in all, I think this was a knockout! Thanks for sharing, G.
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