Tropical Macadamia Nut Linzer Cookies Recipes

LINZER COOKIES

Steps:

• Position racks in the lower and upper third of the oven and preheat to 350. Place the almonds and pecans on a baking sheet; toast on the upper oven rack until lightly browned and fragrant, about 8 minutes. Let cool, then pulse in a food processor with 1/4 cup granulated sugar until finely ground. (Don't overprocess or the mixture will turn into a paste.) Turn off the oven.
• Whisk the flour, cinnamon, cardamom and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
• Using a mixer, beat the butter and the remaining 11/4 cups granulated sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla extract, egg yolks, and the lemon and orange zest; add the ground nuts. Add the flour mixture, mixing just until incorporated (do not overmix). Divide the dough into 2 pieces; place 1 piece between 2 lightly floured sheets of parchment paper and roll into a 14-inch square, about 1/4-inch thick. Repeat with the other piece of dough. Refrigerate both rectangles, covered with the parchment sheets, until firm, at least 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 350. Cut the dough into hearts with a 21/4- to 21/2-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter. Using a smaller heart-shaped cutter (about 11/2 inches), cut out the centers from half of the cookies (you can reroll the centers and scraps). Place the cookies, about 1 inch apart, on baking sheets and bake 2 sheets at a time until the edges are golden, 12 to 15 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through. Cool on wire racks.
• Sift confectioners' sugar over the cookies. Spread 1 teaspoon raspberry preserves evenly over each whole heart cookie, leaving a slight border around the edge; top with the cut-out heart cookies.

MACADAMIA-LIME ICEBOX COOKIES

Steps:

• Combine the macadamia nuts and 1 tablespoon superfine sugar in a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped; pour into a small bowl and set aside. Combine the flour and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
• Beat the butter, remaining 3/4 cup superfine sugar and the lime zest in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in the egg until well combined, 1 minute. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in the flour mixture. Beat in the food coloring until evenly green. Stir in the macadamia nuts with a rubber spatula.
• Turn out the dough onto a large sheet of plastic wrap and shape into a log, about 10 inches long. Wrap tightly and refrigerate until very firm, at least 3 hours or overnight.
• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Trim the ends of the dough log. Roll the log in green sugar until completely coated. Slice the log into 1/2-inch-thick rounds. Arrange the rounds 2 inches apart on the prepared pans. Sprinkle with more green sugar.
• Bake, switching the pans halfway through, until the cookies are firm around the edges but not browned, 17 to 20 minutes. Let cool completely on the pans.

TROPICAL KEY LIME WHITE CHOCOLATE MACADAMIA NUT COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 F (180C).
• In a small bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda.
• In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugars and vanilla extract at high speed until well combined.
• Add the egg, lime juice and lime zest and beat for 1 additional minute.
• Gradually add in the flour mixture.
• Stir in the nuts, coconut and white chocolate chips by hand.
• Drop the dough by rounded tablespoonful onto ungreased cookie sheets.
• Bake for 8-11 minutes or until edges are slightly brown.