Macadamia Butter Cookies

This is one of two cookies that I made for our 2nd Annual Dining For Women Cookie Exchange. Last year the Cookie Exchange was such a success that it was decided that we would do it again this year. I picked this Macadamia Butter Cookie recipe from the December 2009 Cooking Light Magazine. Why this cookie? They looked good simply put. Here's the recipe:


Ingredients
2/3 cup macadamia nuts
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries, chopped
1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. Place nuts in a food processor; process until smooth (about 2 minutes), scraping sides of bowl once. Combine macadamia butter, 1/2 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed. Add vanilla and egg, beat well.
3. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking soda, salt and nutmeg, stirring with a whisk. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture; beat at low speed just until combine. Stir in cranberries. Chill 10 minutes.
4. Divide chilled dough into 30 equal portions; roll each portion into a ball. Place 1 tablespoon granulated sugar in a small bowl. Lightly press each ball into sugar; place each ball, sugar side up, on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Gently press the top of each cookie with a fork. Place 15 cookies on each of 2 baking sheets.
5. Bake cookies, 1 baking sheet at a time, at 375 F for 9 minutes or until golden. Remove cookies from pan, cool on a wire rack. Repeat procedure with remaining cookies.
Recipe is from December 2009 Cooking Light

I love the Cookie Exchange. It is so much fun...getting recipes from other people's cookies and coming home with a box of cookies. How fun is that, right?

Anyways, I made this recipe with my brand new food processor. Woo Hoo! No more grinding nuts with my coffee grinder. I am moving up in the world. :) I specifically choose this recipe so that I would have the opportunity to grind. I wish my food processor was a bit larger for this recipe but it was sufficient especially when you compare it to no food processor at all. Overall, I enjoyed these cookies. You have to like macadamia nuts...really like macadamia nuts to like them. The cranberries are a nice addition to them as well. I give these cookies 3.75 out of 5 stars. I wish they were softer and easier to to break apart. They were a bit crunchy and I wish I could bend them apart instead of crack them apart. I will definitely consider making these cookies again. I am not sure what I can do to improve them. Any suggestions?