Cornflake-Macadamia Nut Cookies

March 7: National Cereal Day

Whenever we are on the island of Kauai, it is mandatory to stop in at the Kauai Kookies factory store. Islander loves their cookies so much that she even considered retiring in Hanapepe! Once in a while, her family and friends back on Oahu mail care packages to us on the mainland and include a few boxes of Kauai Kookies.

When those precious cookies don’t come often enough, she resorts to baking something similar to the Kauai Kookie “Cornflake Krunch” flavor—cornflake-macadamia nut cookies. Crushed cornflake cereal is what makes them “krunchy” and the macadamia nuts add a touch of the tropics to these treats.

For a sweet snack, bake a batch of cookies made with macadamia nuts and cornflakes cereal, especially on National Cereal Day.

Recipe

(Adapted from “Flavors of Paradise Cookbook” by Pearl City Community Church)

 Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• ¾ cup sugar, granulated white (we used C&H brand)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla (we used Hawaiian Vanilla Company brand)
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup cornflakes cereal, coarsely crushed
• ¾ cup macadamia nut pieces (we used Mauna Loa brand)

Directions

In a large bowl, cream the butter with the sugar. Mix in the vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine the flour and baking soda. Gradually stir this mixture into the creamed butter and mix well until a cookie dough is formed.

Crush the cornflakes cereal to measure one cup. Fold this into the cookie dough. Add the macadamia nut pieces. Roll out one-inch balls.

Place them on a lightly greased baking sheet about two inches apart. Flatten into discs. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool completely. Yield: Approximately 3-4 dozen cookies.

Notes

• When Islander still lived on Oahu, she would visit her godsister, Min V., in Kekaha, Kauai, on long weekends. What a wonderful coincidence that Kauai Kookie was on the way to Min’s house from the Lihue airport!!!
• Kauai Kookie used to bake up different flavors of cookies and only offered them at the factory store or at special events (such as the Made in Hawaii Festival) where Islander would buy a bunch of bite-sized “banzai cookies” and macadamia nut tea cookies.
• Islander once left a box of Kauai Kookies out on the dining room table and put a “kapu” on them. However, her brother could not resist and ate them all while she was taking a nap. As soon as she woke up, he immediately ran out to the store to buy replacements to avoid her wrath. To appease her, he bought more Kauai Kookies—and some especially for himself.
• We also gift Kauai Kookies to our mainland friends after coming back from a visit to Hawaii. Share the aloha!
• Mahalo to Mary Ann B. for sending the “Flavors of Paradise Cookbook” to Islander for her birthday. Mahalo to Lisa L. for giving us vanilla extract from the Big Island.
• Try the recipe for macadamia nut-white chocolate chip cookies on September 4, which is National Macadamia Nut Day.
• Search our blog for other recipes containing cereal as an ingredient.