Cinnamon Candied Cashew Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Eyes lock on menacing clouds swirling far above. Pine needles from dried, starving trees fall like heavy rain, shaken loose from their home by ferocious, bullying winds. Trees bend and sway; branches crack and fall to the ground. Far away lightning sends frightening bursts of thunder roaring through the air.
Birds flock from shaking trees to sturdy fences, their fragile bodies and large sail-like wings tossed about by gusts of unwanted wind. Small critters scurry into safe burrows and others crouch under thick bushes. The warm dry air is suddenly replaced by cold bursts of moist air; shivers crawl down my spine as goosebumps do their best to warm the skin.
Howling winds are slowly accompanied by the sound of an approaching pounding. A wall of water makes it way slowly down the street enveloping everything in a fog of bouncing water droplets. Cars, flowers, roofs and streets are barraged by an onslaught of attacking rain. My shirt becomes heavy as it soaks up the rain. Strands of wet, clumped hair act as gutters drawing the water into channels falling over my face, puddling around my eyes.
Thoughts of cover and warmth indoors fill my mind. I hesitate. I kick a puddle forming below my feet, a small smile forms on my adult face.
With the exception of a few drunken nights in college, I haven’t played in the rain since I was a small child. My brother and I would run around in the rain for hours until our lips were blue, our fingers like prunes and our bodies unable to control the shivering brought on by a cold rain. As if playing a game of chicken, we would hold out until only the other decided to run inside for cover. And inside, waiting for us always, was a bowl of warm soup and a piles of fresh out of the oven chocolate chip cookies.
With no where to go, no desire to do shopping or chores in the pouring rain, rainy days always became baking days at home. I’ve since carried on that tradition, taking the rain as a cue, a challenge to bake as many cookies and treats as I can. Only cookies seem to brighten up dark days buried under mile high, thick black clouds.
These cookies are a little more sophisticated than I would have liked as a kid, but I incorporated two of my childhood favorites still (cinnamon and chocolate). If you can’t find cinnamon candied cashews–just like I could not–have no fear, I have provided a simple recipe for that below. You can substitute cashews with any nut of your choosing, though I suggest giving these a try. The buttery, nutty flavor of the cashew partners perfectly with the sweet and spicy bite of cinnamon and nutmeg all while hugged with sweet, sweet sugar. The cookies taste just the same with a touch of delicious dark chocolate.
Cinnamon Candied Cashew Chocolate Chunk Cookies
This recipe will 24 large, 32 medium or 40 small cookies. If you just have all purpose flour you can use 7oz of that instead of a mix of cake and bread flour.
Ingredients
4 ounces butter, at room temperature
3 ounces granulated sugar
3 ounces brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 ounces cake flour
2 ounces bread flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
4 ounces dark chocolate, chopped (or chips)
5 ounces cinnamon candied cashews, chopped (recipe below)Instructions
1. Preheat an oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicon baking sheets.
2. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
3. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until completely mixed together.
4. Add the flours, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and baking soda and mix until blended well.
5. Add the chocolate chunks and the candied cashew bits and mix until evenly distributed.
6. Spoon the dough onto the cookies sheets. Bake each sheet for 8 to 11 minutes until slightly golden. Mine baked 10 minutes.
Not only are these cinnamon candied cashews scrumptious baked into cookies, they are delicious on their own as a snack. You may even notice this recipe will yield about 2 times the amount you’ll need for cookies. You’ll thank me for the extras–they really are a great snack.
Cinnamon Candied Cashews
Ingredients
1 egg white
1 tablespoon water
8 ounces raw cashews
2 ounces brown sugar
2 ounces white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmegInstructions
1. Preheat an oven to 300°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon baking sheet.
2. Whip together the egg white and water until frothy (this can be done with a hand whisk in about a minute or two).
3. Add the cashews and mix them in until they are all evenly coated.
4. Add in the sugars, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg (making sure there are no lumps). Mix until the cashews are evenly covered.
5. Spread the cashew mix evenly onto the lined baking sheet.
6. Bake for 30 minutes. Stir once halfway through.
7. Let cool completely. Place the cashews in a bowl and break apart any pieces that have stuck together.
Enjoy!
Amazing flavor combination.. I adore cinnamon with chocolate and in cookies.
I first discovered cinnamon in chocolate chips cookies at a kids birthday party, the recipe was for Wookie Cookies from a Stars Wars Cookbook. The flavor combination was amazing, I can only imagine what the addition of cashews does!!
Yummy! Both the cashews and the cookies sound wonderful. I love cashews, cinnamon and chocolate! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
These are pretty! Your stories about playing in the rain almost make me dream of rainy days ahead. Then I realize that I’m locked inside on rainy days and am cold all the time and remember that on rainy days all I can do is look forward to summer again. :)
Oh what a well-written post! And what a stunning, original recipe. I just adore cashews and I can just imagine how wonderful they would be with a chocolate chip cookie! Do you think this recipe would be good if you added a little bit of oatmeal to it? I used to make oatmeal chocolate chip cookies with cinnamon all of the time, and would ocassionally throw a few pecans into the mix as well.
Ooh! What a great recipe! Your description of these howling, dark and cloudy days is awesome! I wish we had those here, lol. I’ve never had candied cashews, only chocolate-covered ones. I’m going to have to change that :-) Thanks for sharing this sophisticated cookie recipe!
Decadent!
Cold rainy days almost beg for staying home and baking. These cookies look unbelievably delicious. I would also love the candied cashews on their own!
Double batch? Yes please! These cookies look too good to share so I have to make sure there is plenty to go around.
This is a tasty and unusual cookie, you do not find that many cookie recipes with cashews. Using the candied ones adds layer of flavor to these. I have saved this recipe.
Well done!
I would only play in the rain on hot rainy days, the ones in the middle of July where you wait all day for the rain to pour and cool things down, and even as it does the sun never stops shinning. Those are still my favourite.
These cookies sound amazing. I love cinnamon and chocolate, separately and together. The cashews sound like a great addition too.
Candied cashew nuts, chocolate, cinnamon…those cookies sound and look to die for!
Wow, these look great. Intriguing and exotic! Great photos that made my mouth water. Your first descriptive paragraph made me think of the towering pines in my own yard, and how they rain yards of needles. Nice to meet you through Foodbuzz :-)
It’s raining leaves at my house at the moment. Still it’s a damp gloomy day, just perfect for cooking or baking. Your cookies are perfect one to bake on a day like today, especially with cashews and chocolate, and oh yes, the cinnamon.
These sound delicious and definitely sophisticated. I have been on a major cinnamon kick lately…I’m actually drinking a cinnamon latte as I type this. These cashews sound amazing!
This are like small packs of portable comfort food. I am sure they smell wonderful when cooking.
What a great idea to use candied nuts in your cookies. And even better when you make them yourself! Great cookies~
Sounds like a delicious and unique treat!! I’d love to try these sometime soon :)
Oh my, these look so delicious. I love the way you write. You have a gift.
These cashews sound fantastic by themselves!
Thank you SO much for your comment! Comments from such beautiful blogs make me so happy :) These cookies look absolutely scrumptious!
OMG: cinnamon candied cashews….These cookies sound amazing!
I’m with you rainy days are made for baking or soup making. And thankfully in our part of Texas, we’re finally getting some rain. Whew. Your cookies look and sound delicious!
Delicious sounding cookies. I hope my kids have memories like that. I used to love putting them in their rainboots and sending them outside. We’ve been having 2 days of much needed rain and we were cowering like wimps running into the store today. Silly adults.
Cinnamon and Chocolate? I loove them separately, can’t imagine how amazing they’d be together! Thanks for stopping by my site! You’re definitely one of my blog idols!
I possibly like those cinnamon candied cashews even more then the actual cookies! But then combining them with chocolate… Yep that has got to be a clear winner for me! Love it!
oh wow thes look good :O
wonderful cookies, this will be perfect for tea time.
OMG! Those chunk chocolate is calling me!
Why u always making a dessert that tempting me Russel?! Haha ha! :P
Very tempting cookies! :)
And I just wanted you to know that you have an award on my site today…congratulations Russel! ;)
Congratz on the top 9 #1 Russel!
Ur chocolately recipe 2 times on top 9!! ;)
This combo sounds delicious. I love cinnamon coated nuts, especially cashews!
Discovered you via the top 9 and these sound fantastic. I’m curious though, why part bread flour & cake flour?
Bread flour gives cookies a chewier bite whereas cake flour will give a cookie a softer, cake-like bite. I’ve found a mix of the two that gives me the the softness I like with a little bit of a chewy bite. Sometimes I will use all cake or all bread for certain cookies, but for my chocolate chip cookies I like a base like this.
Oh my word!! I would just eat those cinnamon candied cashews! That is delightful. They do look amazing in those cookies though. Bravo…looks great!
Gorgeous post. These look divine!
xo
http://allykayler.blogspot.com/
I love the idea of those candied cashews and then putting them into this delicious cookie recipe! I’d probably have to make extra cashews because I’d want to eat them alone:-)
Congrats on Foodbuzz top 9!
These sound absolutely fantastic, love the candied cashew addition. yum!!
such a perfect combination, cinnamon with cashew and chocolate,Yummy!!! love your site :)
Definitely going to give these a try! Thanks for sharing!
There’s nothing like playing in the rain, that brings back so many memories. I grew up on the East coast, where summer thunderstorms made for perfect play days in the rain. Here in the Bay Area, I find I just want to hibernate when the cold rains come. These cookies would be just the thing to keep me company :)
These look excellent. and just look at those huge chocolate chunks. yum!
Laura @ A Healthy Jalapeño
I love the title! It is CCCCCC!! Love the flavors. It is amazing.
Wow. I hate it when I find blogs like yours that so beautiful and full of such amazing treats that I have about 50 new treats to go back and try and make. You have just ruined the chances that my diet will be successful. Oh well. These cookies look amazing. All my favorite things!
Congratulations on the 6C cookie making Top 9!
Yum. I just want to make a bowl of those cashews and eat them like popcorn.
Love love love the cookies, pictures and trips down memory lane.
Maybe I should talk about cookies on my blog and get lots of comments chuckle.
What a beautiful post! The name alone of these cookies is really tempting – plus they look delicious.
Just made the cashews, WOW! Love them! Can’t decide if i should make the cookies or just enjoy the cashews!
These look so sinful! I love chocolate and cinnamon too, and anything with pecans is wonderful in my book! BTW, love the name of your blog.
These cookies are just wonderful!!!!
They speak for themself, completely sinful and delicious!!!
i love reading your post, very well written.
Pure heaven!
So many delicious things in one cookie! How can I resist these? I will have to make them myself. :D
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