Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Get out your baking sheets and line them with parchment paper. This prevents sticking and makes cleanup a breeze.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the softened unsalted butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, cream this mixture on medium speed until it turns light and fluffy.

This process usually takes about 3-4 minutes. The air you incorporate here is key to those soft, tender cookies.

Next, crack in the eggs, and pour in the vanilla extract and almond essence. Mix on low speed, just until combined. Don’t overdo it here; a gentle mix keeps everything moist.

In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and sea salt. Gradually add this flour mixture into the wet ingredients, mixing until just incorporated. Don’t be tempted to keep mixing; we want to keep that lovely chewy texture.

Gently fold in the chopped macadamia nuts and white chocolate chunks. This part is like a treasure hunt—seeing all those chunks peeking through the dough brings joy.

Using a cookie scoop or spoon, drop dough balls onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about two inches between each cookie. They will spread, so give them some room.

Place your baking sheets into the preheated oven and bake for 9-11 minutes. The cookies should be golden around the edges but still soft in the center. Remember, they’ll continue to cook a little once removed from the oven.

Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely. This resting time is essential—it's when they develop that perfect chewiness.