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Home » Blog » Recipes

Macadamia Shortbread Sugar Cookies

Tyler April Townley — Leave a Comment

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Pineapple shaped macadamia nut cookies on a cooling rack next to bars of chocolate and whole macadamia nuts.
Macadamia nut cookies dipped in tempered Callebaut dark chocolate callets.

I absolutely love Hawaiian food. Poke, musubi, malasadas, kalua pork, huli huli chicken, mac salad, haupia, shave ice, manapuas, loco moco, hawaiian banana bread, and anything with coconut, pineapple, or lilikoi. I have some friends that live on Maui, and the first time I visited them, I came home with an extra suitcase of jams and preserves, honey, salt, flours, and local candy, snacks and cookies. And then I spent the next few months making everything I could think of with lilikoi. My husband and I even had L&L Hawaiian Barbecue cater our wedding. 

a single chocolate dipped, pineapple shaped, macadamia nut cookie, leaning against a stack of more cookies
These taste just like those famous shortbread cookies from Hawaii!

Obviously I had to try my hand at making a copycat recipe of those famous Hawaiian macadamia shortbread cookies. And these are insanely good!

This recipe doesn’t spread, so you can use it to make cut-out cookies to decorate, or for slice-and-bake cookies. I dipped mine in some tempered callebaut chocolate, and topped with chopped macadamia nuts. And because I had left over mac nuts and tempered chocolate, I made some chocolate covered macadamia nuts! If you can’t make it to the islands, bring the islands to you!

Chocolate covered macadamia nuts on a marble surface.
Take two or three macadamia nuts, roll them in tempered chocolate with a fork, and place onto some parchment paper or a silicone baking mat at room temperature to set up. You can drizzle some more chocolate over them if you want them extra chocolaty.

Add-ins

Always chop by hand or grind add-ins (chocolate chips, candy, nuts, cookies, or dried fruit) in a food processor to the consistency of coarse sand. Large add-ins will leave you with jagged edges when you cut out your cookies.

4 small bowls of ground chocolate chips, almonds, candy cane, and cookies.
From left to right: ground chocolate, nuts, candy cane, and biscoff cookies.

Are these technically shortbread or sugar cookies?

They’re kind of both. It’s fine to call these either “decorated sugar cookies” or “decorated shortbread cookies.” But I’m going to refer to any of my cookie recipes that can used as a base for cookie decorating as “shortbread sugar cookies.”

Shortbread Cookies

  • 2 parts flour to 1 part fat
  • No eggs
  • No leavening agent
  • Dense and crispy

Sugar Cookies

  • 3 parts flour to 2 parts fat
  • Contains eggs
  • Contains a leavening agent
  • Light and Chewy

All of my shortbread sugar cookie recipes don’t rise or spread, can be used for cookie decorating, have egg, but no leavening agent, and have a 2 ¼ parts flour to 1 part fat. Which makes them fall somewhere between a shortbread and a sugar cookie. They’re both shortbread and sugar cookies, and neither shortbread or sugar cookies, at the same time. They’re Shrodinger’s cookies!

All of my shortbread sugar cookie recipes can be used for slice-and-bake cookies as well!

If you would like more info on my preferred ingredient brands, tips and tricks, FAQs, and a little cookie science, I cover all of that in my No-Spread Lemon Shortbread Sugar Cookie Recipe.

Overhead view of the ingredients for macadamia nut shortbread sugar cookies.
Vanilla extract, egg, butter, granulated sugar, macadamia nuts, powdered sugar, cornstarch and all-purpose flour.

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a single pineapple shaped, macadamia nut cookie, dipped in chocolate, surrounded by macadamia nuts and smaller cookies

Macadamia Shortbread Sugar Cookies

No-spread macadamia cookies that can be used for cut-out decorated cookies, or slice-and-bake cookies.
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Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chocolate macadamia cookies, cookies, cut out cookies, decorated cookies, macadamia cookies, roll and cut cookies, shortbread, slice-and-bake, sugar cookies
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Resting Time: 4 hours
Total Time: 4 hours 35 minutes
Servings: 15 cookies
Calories: 257kcal

Equipment

  • measuring spoons and cups
  • mixing bowls
  • whisk
  • spatula
  • food processor
  • cling wrap
  • stand mixer with paddle attachment
  • silicone baking mats
  • cookie sheets
  • cookie cutters
  • rolling pin
  • large knife

Ingredients

US Customary – Metric
  • 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup powdered sugar
  • 1 large egg room temperature
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup roasted macadamia nuts, unsalted finely chopped
  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt optional
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Instructions

  • Grind in food processor, or chop, macadamia nuts until the texture of coarse sand.
  • Whisk flour, cornstarch, macadamia nuts, and salt (optional) together and set aside.
  • Cream butter and sugars with paddle attachment, on medium-low speed, until fluffy and pale in color (about 5 minutes).
  • Add egg and vanilla extract and mix on low speed until thoroughly combined. Scrape down the paddle with a spatula, and then continue to mix on low speed for another 30 seconds to ensure everything is fully incorporated.
  • Add dry ingredients, all at once, and mix on low speed just until dough starts to come together and no dry bits remain. Do not overmix.
  • Turn dough out onto cling wrap, tightly wrap, and refrigerate overnight (or for at least 4 hours).
  • Knead, roll, cut out cookies, and return to fridge or freezer until firm. Leave a couple inches between cookies.
  • Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes, rotate pan, and bake for another 1-5 minutes until edges are starting to turn golden brown.
  • Remove cookies from oven and allow to cool on cookie sheet before handling.

Notes

  • The reason for adding 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch to your dough is to prevent your cookies from shrinking or spreading during baking.
  • You want to grind all add-ins (macadamia nuts) as fine as possible, comparable to the texture of almond meal or coarse sand. Larger pieces will leave you with jagged cookie edges.
  • If making slice-and-bake cookies, split dough in half, roll into logs, wrap tightly in cling wrap or parchment paper, and refrigerate before slicing and baking.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 257kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 45mg | Sodium: 46mg | Potassium: 47mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 396IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 1mg
Did you make this recipe?I’d love to hear how it went! Rate & comment below!

Categories: Cookies, Recipes, Shortbread Sugar Cookies

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Tyler April Townley

Hi, I’m Tyler!

A professional pastry chef turned teacher of all things cookie decorating & more. I’ve made thousands of decorated cookies, cakes, & treats for happy clients over the years. Now I’m sharing my knowledge so you too can bake & decorate like a pro.

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Tyler April Townley

Hi, I’m Tyler!

A professional pastry chef turned teacher of all things cookie decorating & more. I’ve made thousands of decorated cookies, cakes, & treats for happy clients over the years. Now I’m sharing my knowledge so you too can bake & decorate like a pro.

Instagram Pinterest Facebook Twitter YouTube
About · Blog · Shop · Subscribe

Subscribe for Updates

Never miss a recipe or new online!

You can also follow on Instagram & Facebook!

Learn to Decorate Today!

  • Online Cookie Decorating Masterclass
    Online Cookie Decorating Masterclass
  • Products included in my Cookie Decorating Starter Kit
    Cookie Decorating Supply Starter Kit

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