Golden Daffodil Cookies

For springtime: Lemon macadamia white chocolate chip cookies

Apr 15, 2023

At the risk of sounding like more of a pretentious twit than usual, these light-but-chonky lemony cookies were inspired by all the daffodils in William Wordsworth’s famous poem, “I wandered lonely as a cloud.”

So, whether you get yourself in some jocund company, do a sprightly dance with the daffodils, or opt for the bliss of solitude, if you’ve got a bunch of these cookies, you’re set.

Even if you are one of those people who sneer at white chocolate—who, admit it, mock those people who think white chocolate deserves full-on chocolate status—you will enjoy this cookie. I know because I used to be that person.

To be fair, I am still the person who thinks white chocolate should have another, less misleading name, such as Cocoa Butter Pearls or Milky Moondrops. But hear me out: the white chocolate bits add bursts of sweet creaminess wherever they are put. And here, in today’s recipe, they play along with the buttery macadamia nuts and bright lemon flavor to create a springtime “chocolate” chip cookie.

Some notes:

Follow the timing for creaming the butter and sugar given in the recipe. It’s necessary to incorporate the sugar and butter properly to create a cookie with a tender crumb.
These large cookies bake up soft and yielding, just keep an eye out on the timing to protect their delicate nature. You can chopped slivered almonds for macadamia nuts if you prefer.
They are maybe even better on the second day, as the lemon flavor intensifies.

Lemon White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies: Printable!

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Lemon White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

What You’ll Need:

8 ounces butter (225 grams), softened and cut into 16 pieces

1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar

3/4 cup (238 grams) light brown sugar, packed

2 teaspoons lemon zest

2 1/2 cups (300 grams) all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons pure lemon extract (or 3/4 teaspoon pure lemon oil, such as Boyajian brand)

1 1/2 cups (240 grams) best-quality white chocolate chips

1 cup (125 grams) unsalted macadamia nuts (mine were also dry roasted)

What You’ll Do:

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In a stand mixer, with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, white sugar, brown sugar and lemon zest for 2 minutes on medium-high speed. Scrape down the sides and paddle and continue to beat on medium-high for 1 more minute.
Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides between additions. Beat in the lemon extract.
Add the flour mixture and blend on low speed until just combined. Scrape the bowl and paddle, raise the speed to medium and continue to beat for 30 seconds to 1 minute until the mixture looks smooth. Pour in the white chocolate and macadamia nuts and incorporate on low speed.
Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight (and up to 3 days). When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°F. Line your baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop large balls of dough, about 2 1/2” in diameter. These spread, so I only put 6 on a baking sheet. Bake for 9 to 12 minutes, or until just light golden brown on the bottom and still tender and pale in the middle. If you touch the center of the cookie lightly it should not leave an imprint however. The goal here is a soft cookie that won’t fall apart when you pick it up. Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before removing to a cooling sheet.

And! Welcome to all my new readers! I promise not to liken cookies to famous poetry again. Or at least not in the near future. What I do promise is recipes at least twice a week, plus deep dives into the history of the kitchen, random takes on food and restaurants and frequent pictures of my dog (and sometimes the more camera-shy cats). Plus! I take requests. If there’s a recipe you are dreaming of, lmk!

I am forever grateful for the community that has popped up along with this substack. Thank you all, especially this past week, for all your support and well-wishes for my son! (Who is totally better now, touch wood, and back at the Superfund Site River, I mean the Passaic.