Hojicha Cookies with Honey Roasted Macadamia Nuts and White Chocolate Chips

A balanced diet is a cookie in each hand.

I personally think there is no such thing as "bad" food or "good" food. You can have too much of a good thing and it can still be bad for you. Honestly, if you think a food is bad for your waistline, it's not, it's only as bad as the workout you didn't do. Just remember, everything in life is about balance and moderation.

Back to the topic of cookies, I love that you can have so many different flavour combinations for cookies or any type of dessert that you decide to experiment with and these hojicha cookies are a keeper.

What is HOJICHA? It's the lesser known sister to our favourite matcha. Hojicha is roasted after the leaves are steamed; the roasting process gives hojicha its signature earthy aroma and unique smoky taste.

This recipe makes 20-24 servings.

Ingredients

113g unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes

180g brown sugar

25g raw sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

3/4 tsp bicarb soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp sea salt

1 tbsp hojicha powder

220g plain flour

200g white chocolate chips

150g honey roasted macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. Line two baking trays with baking paper and set aside.

2. Place butter, brown sugar, raw sugar, egg and vanilla bean paste into the TM bowl and mix 2 minutes/Speed 3.

3. Add the plain flour, bicarb soda, baking powder, sea salt and hojicha powder and mix for 40 seconds/Speed 4.

4. Then, add the chocolate chip and macadamia nuts and stir for 30 seconds/Speed 2.5 – 3.

5. Form dough by scooping 1 heap tablespoon and rolling the dough into a ball. Place them on the baking tray with 3cm space between each of them.

6. Bake the cookies for 10 – 12 minutes, until golden on the outside but still very gooey and soft inside.

7. Remove the cookies from the oven and let it rest on the baking tray for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

8. Last but not least, ENJOY! 😊

For the non-Thermomix version of the cookies, see below:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. Line two baking trays with baking paper and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars together with an electric mixer until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

3. Add the egg and vanilla, beating until it’s incorporated into the mixture, scrape down the bowl as needed.

4. Beat in the sea salt, bicarb soda and baking powder until combined.

5. With the mixer on low speed, add in the flour and hojicha powder and mix until everything is incorporated.

6. With a spatula, fold/stir in the chocolate chips and macadamia nuts.

7. Form dough by scooping 1 heap tablespoon and rolling the dough into a ball. Place them on the baking tray with 3cm space between each of them.

8. Bake the cookies for 10 – 12 minutes, until golden on the outside but still very gooey and soft inside.

9. Remove the cookies from the oven and let it rest on the baking tray for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

This recipe has been adapted from Spencer Makes Salted Chunky Chocolate Cookies.