This Valentine's Day, treat your special someone to a sweet surprise. Chef Alexa Versoza recommends home-baked honey-roasted macadamia and white chocolate cookies.
Motivated by her fondness for this toothsome confection, she shared her personal recipe, which features a mouthwatering blend of the rich, buttery flavor of nuts and smooth, creamy hints of vanilla and milk.
Cookies do not only embody the essence of love and friendship, but also generosity. With the ideal ingredients – macadamia, which symbolizes strength, resilience, abundance, and creativity, plus white chocolate, which reflects pure and innocent love, it serves as an invitation to express your delight and affection through a thoughtful DIY gift.
"Satisfy your significant other's sweet tooth cravings and you will have a healthy and happy relationship," the Culinary Arts graduate from the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde School of Hotel, Restaurant, and Institution Management stated.
Chef Versoza, who specializes in sourdough bread and pastries, is the owner and chef consultant of Apo Baking Society. She likewise serves as the head pastry chef of Key Coffee, the first kissaten of the famed coffee brand outside of Japan, located at the Mitsukoshi Mall BGC.
Honey-roasted macadamia and white chocolate cookies
Ingredients:
150 g Callebaut white chocolate
112.5 g Unsalted butter
100 g All-purpose flour
100 g Bread flour
100 g Macadamia
95 g Brown sugar
95 g White sugar
50 g Palawan honey
5 g Salt
2.5 g Vanilla bean paste
1.75 g Baking soda
1.75 g Baking powder
1 pc Large egg
Yield: 12 pieces of 60-gram cookies
Procedure:
1. In a medium sauté pan, roast the chopped Macadamia with Palawan honey over low heat. Stir occasionally for 8 to 10 minutes until the macadamia is well-roasted and evenly coated with the honey.
2. Transfer the macadamia to a silicone mat or parchment paper and let it cool.
3. Sift all flour and dry ingredients together.
4. Cream the unsalted butter and sugar with the paddle attachment at medium speed for about 10 minutes. Constantly scrape the bowl to make sure that the sugar is dissolved and incorporated with the unsalted butter.
5. Beat the egg with the salt and vanilla bean paste, then slowly add to the dough.
6. Turn the speed of the mixer to low, then gradually add the dry ingredients.
7. Stop mixing immediately as soon as the dry ingredients are fully incorporated to avoid overworking the gluten.
8. Fold in three-fourths of the macadamia and white chocolate by hand.
9. Shape each cookie into a ball, weighing 60 grams each. Use the remaining quarter of the macadamia and white chocolate as toppings.
10. Freeze the cookie dough for at least 12 hours before baking.
11. Preheat oven to 180°C, low fan setting if using a convection oven, and bake the cookies for 16 to 18 minutes.
12. Let it cool on a rack. Serve with warm milk. Enjoy!