Glazed Pineapple Cookies

I wanted to make something more springy for this week. I know that baking doesn’t always seem springy or summery, but there are certainly ways to incorporate sunnier flavors into baking. I found this recipe online, in an article that talked about cookies for summer. Some of their options didn’t seem like I would want to make them in the summer: who wants to roll out cookies and then decorate them in a hot kitchen? I wouldn’t; but these seemed like they’d be great for this time of year.

I really like pineapple, and I have made a handful of pineapple recipes. I liked these as they were a simple cookie, but with the glaze and the optional sparkling sugar jazzed these up a lot. This doesn’t make a huge batch, about two and a half dozen. I stated my glaze with three tablespoons pineapple juice and it was too runny, so I had to add quite a bit more powdered sugar. They looked too plain just glazed, so I searched the cupboard for sparkling sugar and I had some smoked sugar that I used to finish the cookies. The cookies are soft but crisp around the edges, with the great sweetness of pineapple shining through.

Glazed Pineapple Cookies

8 ounce can crushed pineapple

1/2 cup shortening

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1-1/2 cups powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats.

Drain the pineapple, reserving the juice; set aside the pineapple juice for the glaze. In a large mixer bowl, beat the shortening and brown sugar on medium until smooth. Add the egg and mix on medium to incorporate. Add the drained pineapple and vanilla; mix well on medium-low. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and stir on low, just until the dough comes together.

Scoop onto the prepared baking sheets, using about 1-1/2 tablespoons dough for each cookie.

Bake for about 17 minutes, until lightly browned on the bottom and set but still soft. Allow the cookies to cool on a wire rack before glazing.

Make the glaze: in a small bowl, whisk the powdered sugar and two tablespoons of reserved pineapple juice. Continue adding pineapple juice, about ½ teaspoon at a time, until the right consistency for glazing. Glaze the cooled cookies. Top with sparkling sugar, if desired.

Recipe from Taste of Home