Macadamia Nut Cookies

This is a super cookie and the addition of white rum makes it a melt-in-your mouth favourite. Yes, it does!

• 1 cup unsalted Macadamia nuts
• 2 sticks of unsalted butter (1/2 cup)
• 6 tbsp. sugar
• 1 tbsp. white rum
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1  1/2 cups flour
• sanding sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread nuts on a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake for about 7 minutes until a light brown and fragrant. Transfer to a food processor and chop to a fine powder.

In your electric mixer, cream the butter until very light and fluffy. Beat in the salt, rum, sugar and vanilla. Stir in the flour and nuts until the dough holds together.  Form dough into two disks, wrap in plastic and place in the refrigerator for an hour.

On a well floured surface, roll one disk into a 10 inch circle and 1/16 inch thick. The dough will be really fragile but is easily patched or re-rolled. Carefully cut into shapes with 2 inch cookie cutters.

With a thin spatula, transfer to a parchment lined cookie sheet and chill. Repeat this procedure with the second disk. Use as much of the dough as you possibley can.

Bake for about 15-20 minutes until lightly browned. Transfer to cooling racks and sprinkle with sanding sugar when cool.