MacAdamia Butterballs

These buttery snowball cookies get a tropical upgrade with chopped macadamia nuts and chocolate chips. No eggs, no leavening, just butter, sugar, flour, and the good stuff. They crumble the second they hit your tongue.

Chopping the chocolate chips before mixing them in distributes chocolate flavor more evenly throughout each small cookie. Whole chips can overpower a teaspoon-sized butterball, but chopped pieces melt into little pockets of chocolate without dominating.

Chilling the dough for at least three hours (or overnight) is a must. This isn’t just about making the dough easier to handle. Cold dough bakes more slowly, which keeps the cookies from spreading flat. You want round balls that hold their shape, not flat discs. Bake low at 325°F (165°C) and pull them before they brown. These cookies should stay pale.

Kitchen Tips

• Roll the dough balls small, by the teaspoonful. These are meant to be one-bite cookies.
• Do not brown these cookies. The flavor changes completely if they darken. Pull them when they’re set but still pale.
• Roll in powdered sugar while still warm so the sugar melts slightly and sticks. A second roll when cool adds the thick white coating.
• Store in an airtight container between layers of parchment. They’re fragile and crumble easily.

Variations

• Use white chocolate chips instead of dark for a double-white tropical cookie.
• Add shredded coconut for a Hawaiian-inspired version.
• Tint the dough with food coloring for festive holiday cookies.