White Chocolate Cherry Chunkies

So far the post office has not been working us overtime–they’ve been letting us go home early instead! My Christmas miracle! :) 

Anyway, I’m trapped indoors b/c driving in the snow terrifies me.  I wanted to make some chocolate covered pretzels but since I can’t leave to buy the pretzels (four pounds of almond bark and nothing to coat!), I decided to make something with what I had.  So I made some fudge with Ande’s peppermint baking pieces on top and then some white chocolate cherry chunkies from the lard Queen, Paula Deen. 

But they turned out pretty awful.  What is wrong with me?  I knew when I opened the macadamia nuts that they were rancid.  Yes, nuts go rancid.  I had them in the freezer (which makes them last 20 times longer) but I bought them on clearance so they were probably rancid before I even froze them. Then I left them in the freezer for a year.  So I took a delicious recipe and totally ruined it b/c of my stubborn refusal to substittute the macadamias for another nut (I have three other kinds, people!).  I’m so mad.  You can tell the cookie is good and it’s only the crappy nuts messing with the flavor.  I hate failing. 

So I’m going to take them to the post office and let my co-workers choke on them b/c I can’t bring myself to throw them away.  They get to eat all my baking failures that I leave anonymously on the counter with a note to “help yourself.”  Pretty soon they’re just going to start chucking the cookies, cakes and brownies that get left on the counter b/c they’re sick of they’re eyes going crossed and the diarreah that follows soon after.

White Chocolate Cherry Chunkies

Ingredients

1 stick butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons milk
1 cup chopped macadamia nuts
1/2 cup candied cherries
1 1/2 cups white chocolate chunks

Directions 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, with electric mixer, cream butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until just combined. Set aside.

Sift together flour, soda, and salt. Add milk to the butter mixture and then add the flour mixture. Mix until just combined. Batter should be stiff.

In another bowl, combine nuts, cherries, and white chocolate. Then add to batter, stirring only to blend. Drop by heaping tablespoons onto a greased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake for approximately 11 to 13 minutes. Cool on wire rack.