Pineapple Muffin Cookies

These cookies sit somewhere between a soft cookie and a tiny muffin top, with crushed pineapple and its juice baked right into the batter. The juice keeps them exceptionally moist and adds a tropical brightness that walnut-and-nutmeg recipes usually skip. Five dozen drops from one bowl, perfect for a holiday cookie tray, school party, or after-school snack.

Nutmeg is the spice that makes pineapple sing. Cinnamon would have been the obvious pick, but nutmeg’s quieter, warmer character lets the pineapple stay center stage instead of drowning it. Don’t substitute.

Use crushed pineapple from a can, with the juice. Fresh pineapple is too watery and throws off the batter. Drained canned pineapple loses the juice that adds flavor and moisture. The whole can goes in.

Pro Tips

• Use chunky vegetable shortening, not butter. The shortening is what gives these their cake-like, almost biscuit texture.
• Don’t flatten before baking. They puff up and bake into rounded tops on their own.
• Cool fully on wire racks. They firm up as they cool but stay tender.
• Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Texture stays soft.

Variations

• Add ½ cup raisins or chopped dried apricots along with the walnuts for more fruit.
• Drizzle with a simple powdered sugar and pineapple juice glaze after cooling.
• Substitute pecans or macadamia nuts for the walnuts for a more tropical pairing.