Ingredient Spotlight-Pina Colada Macadamia Oatmeal Cookies

Recently I was looking through my mother’s handwritten recipe cards, and I came across a barely legible recipe for Pineapple Cookies.  I don’t remember eating these as a child so I believe that the recipe is something that she found after I was grown.  Mom did not handwrite recipes unless she thought they were very good so I decided to give the cookie a try.

I liked the fact that the recipe used all of a small can of crushed pineapple so there would be no leftovers to deal with.  It called for nuts but did not specify what kind.  I decided to add some additions to the recipe and made pina colada cookies.  These have all the good things from Hawaii with the added crunch from the nuts.   If the macadamia nuts seem a bit pricey, almonds can be used instead.

The recipe does use shortening, and I have not yet attempted to make them with butter so don’t know how that would turn out.

These are small, cake-like cookies with bits of pineapple and  nuts in them.  They are dainty and perfect for a party.

Pina Colada Macadamia Oatmeal Cookies
2/3 cup shortening
1 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1 t. vanilla
1/2 t. coconut extract (opt.)
1/2 t. rum extract (opt.)
1 c. (8 oz. can) crushed pineapple, undrained
2 c. flour
2 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 c. quick oats
1/2 c. flaked coconut, toasted
3/4 c. chopped macadamia nuts

Beat shortening and sugar together until creamy.  Add egg, vanilla, coconut and rum extract.  Beat well.  Stir in pineapple.  Combine flour, baking powder and salt.  Add to liquid ingredients and mix until well blended.  Mix in oats until well blended.  Stir in coconut and nuts.  Drop by teaspoonsful onto greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees 10-12 minutes or until bottoms begin to brown and tops are set.  Make 6 dozen small cookies.

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