Chocolate and peanut butter are such obvious best friends. They’re so good together that there’s just no need for any other parties to join the fun. With a duo that good, how could it get any better? Enter the nut king–the mighty macadamia. He’s so rich, so fatty, so smooth. The absolute king by divine right. He is absolutely welcome to this party.
I’ve always loved macadamias. Each time I’ve seen them in their natural habitat, the adoration has grown. I think the first time was in Hawaii at a factory where they made those fun variety packs of flavors. Then again back in Hawaii years later, I loved seeing a huge mountain of them out behind the where they packaged them. That time we got to crack them open ourselves. I kept the shells because they were so smooth and shiny. Then down in New Zealand, seeing an entire macadamia nut farm in the most idyllic setting in one of the most beautiful parts of the country, the Coromandel Peninsula in the North, was a complete dream. We saw the groves of macadamia trees, creating a beautifully shady landscape peppered with the errant chicken and goat here and there. There was a quaint little market stand where the farmer sold the fruits of her land, mostly macadamia-based goodies. We left there with bags full of treasures including macadamia nut butter, macadamia nut oil, and macadamia flower honey.
Back to the cookie. This cookie is so good even by itself without the add-ins, but as each one is added, it gets exponentially better. The peanut butter chips–must use the Reese’s brand ones–are the mellow and smooth peanut butter flavor that highlights and grounds the intensely chocolatey Nutella. As a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup fan, I’m even crazier about Reese’s Pieces, so being able to buy the filling by the bag in morsel form makes me a happy snacker/baker. There’s something really special about that peanut butter formula; and it’s beautiful in baking. And then the macadamia nut bits are the buttery, subtle crunch.
