Cranberry Macadamia Butter Cookies- 12 Days of Cookies Day 4

Day 4 of 12 Days of Cookies: Cranberry Macadamia Butter Cookies. Usually when I think about cookies, I don’t think about being healthy. This recipe comes from Cooking Light, which I typically just use for dinner recipes. These cookies were just inside the back page of the magazine and they’re from the recipe hall of fame. These looked so good and I’d made another cookie with macadamia butter so I thought that I would give them a try.

It’s not hard to make macadamia butter. I haven’t tried it on toast but it sure is great in cookies. The flavor isn’t quite as pronounced as peanut butter would be, which I think pairs nicely with the cranberries. The richness of the macadamias coupled with the tartness of the cranberries is a winning combination. They’re easy to make too, very similar to a peanut butter cookie!

These cookies contain 78 calories each, according to the nutritional information I even took care to make exactly 30 cookies as it was supposed to. These don’t taste at all like they are healthy or like they are anything but a decadent treat. They keep fresh for quite a while, so you can make them in advance of the holiday season. These are a wonderful cookie and perfect if you want to treat yourself without going too far overboard this holiday season.

2/3 cup macadamia nuts
½ cup sugar
½ cup brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1-1/4 cups flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
½ cup dried cranberries, chopped
1 tablespoon sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with silicone baking mats.

Place nuts in a small food processor and process until smooth. In a large mixer bowl, combine the macadamia butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Beat on medium until combined. Add the egg and vanilla and beat well.

In a small bowl combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg. Add to the butter mixture and mix on low until combined. Stir in the chopped cranberries. Chill 10 minutes.

Divide the dough into 30 portions and roll each portion into a ball. Roll the balls in sugar and place on the prepared baking sheets. Flatten the cookies with a fork.

Bake for 9 minutes, until golden. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

Recipe from Cooking Light, December 2009