Take a trip to the tropics—with a cookie, that is. Loaded with dried pineapple and macadamia nuts, dependably available year-round, these cookies can whisk you away to a fantasy island at the drop of a spoonful of dough.
Slices or cubes of sweetened dried pineapple can be found in natural foods stores and often in the natural foods section of supermarkets. I use salted macadamia nuts, which are easier to find than unsalted, but I discard any salt that falls off the nuts when I chop them. Spoon, rather than scrape, the chopped nuts into the measuring cup so the salt remains on the cutting surface.
makes 10 cookies • cookie making 15 minutes • cookie baking 350 degrees, two baking sheets for about 14 minutes each
1¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons rum, preferably dark
¾ cup (about 3¾ ounces) macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped
1 cup sweetened dried pineapple (about 4 slices, or 5 ounces), cut into ¼- to ½-inch pieces
Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, stir the flour, baking soda, and salt together; set aside. In a large bowl, using a large spoon, stir the melted butter and sugar to blend them. The mixture will look grainy. Stir in the egg, vanilla, and rum until the mixture looks smooth and shiny. Stir in the flour mixture to incorporate it. Stir in the macadamia nuts and pineapple pieces.
Using an ice cream scoop or measuring cup with a ¼-cup capacity, scoop mounds of the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing the cookies 3 inches apart. Bake the cookies one sheet at a time until the tops are light golden, about 14 minutes. The cookies will puff up during baking, then flatten slightly just before they are done. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then use a wide metal spatula to transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
The cookies can be stored in a tightly covered container at room temperature for up to 3 days.