Chocolate Chunk Cashew Cookies

My husband is always asking me to make chocolate chip cookies. They’re his favorite but they aren’t super exciting to post on the blog. Occasionally I am able to find recipes that are a variation on the basic that I think others would enjoy. This is one of those variations. I hadn’t initially thought of them as a chocolate chip cookie, but that’s really what they are. They are from a British food magazine, which is different, and uses a couple of different add-ins.

This recipe uses cashews, which aren’t super common in recipes. I like to eat cashews but I can only think of one recipe off the top of my head that uses cashews. I had to buy roasted and salted cashews as that was what my store offered. I left out any extra salt in the dough, but if you use unsalted cashews I would add about ½ teaspoon salt with the flour. The original recipe had you make the dough by hand; I made quick work of it by making it in the food processor. This method is a bit different the cookies turned out just fine. They are classic, but a little bit different with the cashews. I used a mixture of milk and dark chocolate, so use what you like the most.

A note about the measurements here: I usually change the ingredient quantities to ounces. I actually measure everything in grams on the scale I have, so I’ve decided to include both. Measuring by weight is the most accurate way, and I absolutely encourage you to purchase a scale that weights in grams and ounces.

Chocolate Chunk Cashew Cookies

100 grams/3.5 ounces cashews

250 grams/9 ounces flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

200 grams/7 ounces sugar

10 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces

100 grams/3.5 ounces cashew or peanut butter

1 egg, beaten

2 tablespoons golden syrup or honey

200 grams/7 ounces chocolate, cut into chunks

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the cashews on a baking sheet and toast until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Cool and then roughly chop. 

Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats.

In the bowl of a food processor, add the flour, baking powder, and sugar. Pulse to combine. Add the butter pieces and the nut butter to the food processor. Pulse on and off several times until the mixture looks like crumbs. Add the egg and the golden syrup and pulse until the dough comes together. 

Transfer the dough into a medium bowl. Add the toasted cashews and the chocolate chunks and stir with a spatula to incorporate the add-ins into the dough.

Shape the dough into 1-1/4” balls and place on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 12-14 minutes, until golden around the edges. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for several minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe from BBC Good Food