Holiday Baking #1: White Chocolate Macadamia Brownies

I'm so excited to announce the launch of my "Baking through the Holidays with Recipe Shoebox", where each day in December we'll post a new delicious goody recipe!  It'll be me, my family, and some baking friends all collaborating together to make it the most delicious December yet here at the Recipe Shoebox.  Thanks to my new blogging friend, Kari at the Virtual Goody Plate , for the idea.  She's been posting a cookie recipe every day in December for the last few years on her baking blog. 

Here's my first recipe of December....White Chocolate Macadamia Brownies.  My hubby has a soft spot for the White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies at Mrs. Fields, but I've always been a little intimidated to make them at home for him.  One day I stumbled across the macadamia nuts on sale and decided to make him a special treat.  I can't remember exactly where I found this recipe, but it was love at first bite.  They had a very nice texture which was much smoother and moister than your average cookie bar.   These would be great for a bake sale or for a plate of holiday goodies!
Don't forget to grab my button (either on the sidebar or on the bottom of this post) and spread the word! 

Click here for printable recipe. 

The ingredients:

6-ounces fine-quality or premium white chocolate, chopped (I used Ghirardelli white chocolate chips)
5 Tbs. unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup macadamia nuts, toasted lightly and chopped coarsely
1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Directions:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9-inch square baking pan. 

In a double boiler or metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, melt white chocolate and butter together, stirring, until smooth.  Remove from heat and allow chocolate mixture to cool to room temperature. 

In a large bowl with an electric mixer beat eggs, sugar, and vanilla until thickened and pale and beat in white chocolate mixture.  Into a bowl sift together flour, baking powder, and salt and beat into chocolate mixture just until batter is combined well.  Stir in nuts and white chocolate chips and spread batter evenly in pan. 

( I used an 11x7-inch pan, since my square pan was in use that day) 

Bake brownies in middle of oven 30-35 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. 

(They turned out a little browner than you'd want most cookie bars, but these were PERFECT just the way they were--still moist and chewy and not overdone a bit)

  Brownies will cut better if allowed to cool first, but they were so, so good warm and fresh from the oven.  Serve with ice cream!  Makes 16 brownies.  Enjoy!

***************************************

Don't forget to grab my holiday baking button! 






<center><a href="http://recipeshoebox.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtaex9nALqba0lTmUksZUgBHB9M5ESLivqFsEES1dSjYb96wjaNn6TACIkWJJrLlUt9fVzLvq0vWWS-nkAFKhj9wfrP9H94l_Vz5CGkv5XENURS6k-x__GrBM2s6BbnQ0YQMMroWDl3z0Y/"/></a></center>


*****************************