Cheryl’s Easy Pineapple Cookies!

Cheryl’s Pineapple Cookie Recipe from Betty Crocker

I don’t know where my mom, Cheryl, got the recipe for these Pineapple Cookies, but I remember having them quite a few times growing up. I even remember making them as a gift for my dad a couple of times as they were his favorite cookies. I’m sure my mom didn’t add the nutmeg the recipe calls for either, but I am all about spice these days and the mild nutmeg doesn’t overpower the pineapple. So add the nutmeg, people! Or not. Whichever you prefer.

(In searching through our old recipe cards and cookbooks, I believe that my mom found this recipe in her 1956 edition of the Betty Crocker Cookbook. I found it on eBay if you’re interested. This is an affiliate link and the price is the same for you.)

I made these for some nice Virginia Tech student volunteers from the VT Big Event who came to our house today to clear away tree branches and gravel and all the mess that winter and spring storms left in our yard surrounded by woods. I was going to make Oatmeal cookies but for the first time in probably twenty years, I am completely out of oatmeal! I’m glad that the idea for Pineapple Cookies popped into my head. It was the perfect answer. Since I was thinking to serve hot cocoa, I wanted to offer cookies without chocolate for some contrast.

This is a classic cookie recipe and you can tell that it is from what I’ll call the “shortening era”. They have shortening in them and next time I make them, I’m really going to try to substitute unsalted butter. If you try making them with butter, please let me know how they turn out.

So first you cream the shortening, sugar and eggs. It’s super easy to make in my stand mixer with the paddle, but I’ve always used a hand mixer in years gone by.

Then gently add in the crushed pineapple. I didn’t read the recipe right and I drained the pineapple. It turned out fine and the cookies were still moist. I think you could add a little more of the pineapple, actually, and the liquid would have added to the pineapple flavor.

In a separate bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients. You really don’t have to sift the ingredients, but be sure to mix them well. I mix the nuts right in with the dry ingredients.

Once mixed, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until blended.

Now place them on a baking sheet about 2 inches apart and bake. They don’t spread out a lot, but they do expand.

The recipe says to bake them at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Since I have a convection oven that I’m still getting used to, I baked the first batch at 375 degrees, but the cookies got brown fast. The rest I baked at 350 degrees and that worked okay, but they did take a little longer to bake.  Because these are moist cookies, they need time to bake inside before browning too much outside.  The cookies on the right below are the first batch.

I hope you enjoy these simple pineapple cookies! I think they would be delicious with some cinnamon in them, but since I tend to put cinnamon in everything, I resisted the temptation this time. So I ate mine with cinnamon tea! 😉

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Seriously the Best Banana Bread Ever

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5 from 3 votes

Cheryl’s Pineapple Cookies

These are fun to make for something different–a great change from oatmeal and chocolate chip. They would be great for tea! Per Serving: 134 Calories; 5g Fat (34.9% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 21g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 4mg Cholesterol; 24mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1/2 Fruit; 1 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword Cookies

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 48

Calories 108kcal

Author Carmen @ DiscoverCreateInspire.com

Equipment

• Mixer, bowl, spoon, sheet pans, small spatula

Ingredients

Cream together:

• 1 cup shortening
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 egg
• 9 ounce can crushed pineapple with juice 1 cup

Sift or mix together in a separate bowl:

• 3 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Add nuts to flour mixture, then mix all into the sugar mixture:

• 1/2 cup chopped nuts

Instructions

• Mix shortening, sugar and egg. Stir in pineapple. Sift together and stir in: flour, soda, salt and nutmeg. Stir in nuts. Chill at least 1 hour. 
• Drop rounded teaspoonfuls about 2 inches apart on lightly greased baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until, when touched lightly with finger, no imprint remains.

Notes

The nutmeg and nuts are optional, but help to give it a unique flavor that pairs well with the pineapple.