Mrs. Fields & iVillage 30th Anniversary Cookie Contest (686 photos) My Own Creation (274 photos)

Sweet & Salty Cashew Cookies

I love to bake and make up new recipes. If ever there is a community or school event, I am called to make cookies--and of course I always do! Cashews are my favorite and and paire d with chocolate--oh my! I came up with this recipe after noticing a trend toward sweet and salty.

3 cups cashew Halves & Pieces
1 1/2 tablespoon egg white
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
Non Stick Cooking Spray
3 1/4 cup All Purpose Flour
1/4 cup crushed salted pretzels
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 (1 cup) stick Butter Flavored Shortening
1 stick salted butter, softened
2 1/2 cups Light Brown Sugar
2 Eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons milk
8 oz white chocolate chips or chunks
8 oz milk chocolate chips or chunks

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine cashews and egg white until nuts are thoroughly coated. Add sugar and salt and stir until all is adhered to the nuts. Spread nuts on to ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 20 minutes. Nuts will be moist when they come out of the oven but will dry and spices will form a glaze when they cool. Allow to cool and set aside.

While nuts are baking and cooling, prepare cookie dough.

ncrease the oven temperature to 350 when the nuts are finished. Spray 4 baking sheets with non stick spray.

In a small mixing bowl, combine flour, crushed pretzels and baking soda and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine shortening, butter and sugar and mix until light and fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla extract and milk and mix until thoroughly combined. Add dry ingredients to the wet and mix well. Stir in with a sturdy spoon white and milk chocolate and seasoned cashews. Do not use the mixer or it will crush the chips and nuts.

Using a medium ice cream scoop (about 2 tablespoons), drop batter onto prepared pans, 12 to a pan. Cook in preheated oven for 11 minutes or until edges of cookies are slightly browned. Remove cookies from oven and allow to cook slighly on baking sheet. Remove to cooling rack. Enjoy!

Makes about 6 dozen cookies

on 04/19/07