Cashew White Chocolate Cherry Cookies

Have you seen ‘Still Alice’?  Yeah well, I might have early onset Alzheimers like that character with the red hair who won the Academy Award.  (I’m not even joking- I can’t remember her name right now.  Reinforcing my point.)

I was at the store yesterday morning and bought cashews and a bar of white chocolate with the express purpose of making cookies with them, then had that teeny tiny feeling before I was about to whip them together that I had so done that before.  (As a baking blogger, I’m all about making new shit that I can post, not spending decent time on a Saturday making something I’ve so made before and therefore can’t tell you all about it.)

I told The Husband about my almost faux pas, and much to my reassurance and comfort, he said “yeah- you made those cookies not too long ago”.  He might as well have said “yeah- you made those cookies not too long ago, Alice.  I’ve looked into a pleasant assisted living center that has room for you to move into, this afternoon.  I’ll visit you often, even though you won’t remember me.”.

So I threw in chopped dried cherries to the recipe, which technically makes this a different dessert.  So there.

(Oh!  Take a second to notice the cute paper in the picture above.  I am always looking for waxed paper to stack and store and layer my cookies and bars and brownies.  Janet sent me some, and I’m sold.)

P.S.: Julianne Moore.  That’s her name.

Adapted from my White Chocolate Cashew cookies…

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 large egg

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup (6 ounces) white chocolate chips/ chunks

3/4 cup roughly chopped cashews

2/3 cup roughly chopped dried cherries

1. In a large bowl, combine butter, egg, sugars and vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed for 3-5 minutes until light and fluffy.  Scrape sides of bowl.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together.  Add to wet mixture and mix until just combined, about 1 minute.  Stir in white chocolate, cashews and cherries until evenly distributed.
3. Scoop heaping tablespoon-sized amounts of dough onto parchment-lined cookie sheets, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least three hours (up to three days).
4. Preheat oven to 350° while cookies are chilling.  Bake for 10 minutes, until slightly golden brown on tops.  Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring to cooling racks.

 Tips:

• Chill the cookie dough or else the cookies will bake into flat pancakes.
• I looked at the original White Chocolate Cashew Cookie recipe, and noticed that I had a similar experience with it where I had forgotten making blondes with both ingredients in a previous recipe.  Mind meld.
• Enjoy!

Click Here to PRINT This Recipe Now!