White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies II

Other than baking, I have another passion, and that's running. One of my new year resolutions for 2010 is to complete a half marathon under the timing of 2h 30mins, then a full marathon under 6h 30mins. For the half marathons, I clocked 2h 11mins on Sundown and 2h 19mins for AHM, which was like double YAY! for me. And 5 December was a day that I'll remember for life haha, as I ran my first 42.195km on Standard Chartered Marathon!

The experience is crazyyyyyy. At the start of the 30th km, we were led to this depressing construction site near Marina Barrage. By the 32km, I started to walk because my knees were starting to hurt from the stress. And by 34km, I was going half walking and half jogging already. My feet started to swell and my running shoes got so tight that I had to stop halfway to adjust the laces. By 38km, I couldn't run anymore. Was limping towards the finishing line. LOL Managed to do a 5h 45mins despite all the trauma. Had no issues with the stamina, it's just my legs - it was too painful to run!

Was also touched by all the support I've gotten for the run. Bumped into an old friend of mine while running through the East Coast Park stretch and he actually waited for me during the last dash at Padang and cheered me on. Boyfriend also waited a good hour for me under the blazing sun at my company's sponsored tent. He said he thought he should come an hour in advance in case I finish faster than expected. Silly boy has so much faith in me HAHAHAH!!

Can't expect too glam a shot when your knees are threatening to give way any moment

After the run, I couldn't walk properly - was staggering like a penguin. Haven't had post-run symptoms before, but a full marathon is really insane. Don't think I'll put my legs through the trauma again. It's more of a I've-done-it-before! kind of experience.

Anyway, here comes the cookies which I'm supposed to be blogging about hehe. These are actually made from the same cookie recipe as my previous batch as I was still practising on my Project: Cookies. As usual they turned out chewy. The combination of white chocolate and macadamia nuts is a match made in heaven. Sweet creamy smooth white chocolate complemented by subtle buttery macadamia nuts, along with chewy cookie. Reallyreally good, imo.

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies (modified from Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home to Yours)
(makes abt 90 cookies for me)

Ingredients:
280g all purpose flour

1 tsp salt (1 1/4tsp if you really like salt)
3/4 tsp baking soda
225 butter, room temperature
200g sugar
160g light brown sugar
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
200g white chocolate chips
150g finely chopped macadamia

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 190°C. Line parchment paper on baking trays
2. Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking soda
3. In another bowl, with a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat the butter until smooth for abt 1 min on medium speed
4. Add in the sugars and beat for abt 2 mins or so until well blended
5. Beat in the vanilla
6. Add in eggs one at a time, beating for 1 min before the next one goes in
7. Reduce mixer to low speed and add in dry ingredients by 3 portions, mixing only until each addition is incorporated

8. On low speed, or by hand with a rubber spatula, mix in the chocolate and nuts
9. Spoon the dough by slightly rounded tablespoonfuls onto the baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between spoonfuls
10. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes (15g @ 8.5mins for me), or until they are brown at the edges and golden in the centre
11. Pull the sheet from the oven and allow the cookies to rest for 1 minute, then carefully, using a wide metal spatula, transfer them to racks to cool to room temperature...profit!