Crisp on the edges with soft, chewy centers, these Coconut Macadamia Cookies are perfection! The flavors of toasted coconut, macadamia nuts, and caramelized white chocolate are pure decadence!
Preheat oven to 350° F. Sprinkle the desiccated (dried) coconut (see note) on a baking sheet in an even layer. Toast in the oven for about 5 minutes, stirring at the halfway point. **Desiccated coconut burns very easily, so you'll want to check on it every minute or so.**
Once the coconut is toasted, allow to cool completely.
For Cookies:
If not already, preheat oven to 350° F. Line baking sheets with silpats (see note) or parchment and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt). Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Add egg and vanilla and beat until incorporated. With the mixer running on low, gradually add the dry ingredients. Mix until just incorporated.
Fold in macadamia nuts (see note), toasted coconut (cooled; see note), and chocolate (see note).
Using a large cookie scoop (see note), scoop dough onto prepared baking sheets, placing them at least 2 inches apart. Bake 12 minutes, turning the baking sheet around halfway through. Allow cookies to cool on the pan for about 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.Enjoy!
Notes
Note on coconut: I used desiccated (dried) coconut, as I didn't want the texture or the added sweetness of regular sweetened coconut. Because the coconut is dried, it toasts up in a flash, so really keep an eye on it! If you can't find desiccated coconut, you can find it [here].Note on macadamia nuts: I used roasted & salted macadamias for flavor and a little sweet-and-salty goodness, but you could use unsalted it you prefer. My local grocery store never has macadamia nuts. If you have the same issue, you can find them [here].Note on white chocolate: You can use absolutely use regular white chocolate. It's available in pretty much any grocery store and is way cheaper than what I used. BUT!! You guys, this stuff is amazing! I used Valrhona Dulcey, which is a caramelized white chocolate. In my humble opinion, this chocolate is most of what makes these cookies so special! If you feel like splurging, you can find it [here].Note on silpats: I always bake my cookies on silpats. Nothing sticks to them, they can be used over and over again, and the cookies brown more slowly. If you're interested in getting some for yourself, you can find them [here]. If you line your pans with parchment, they may be done a bit before mine were.Note on cookie scoop: I used a large cookie scoop (about 3 tablespoon volume) to portion out my cookies so they're all uniform in size (and my hands stay a lot cleaner). I really like the one that I use: link [here].