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Hawaiian Mood Cookies

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Submitted by goldengirl

Hawaiian mood cookies with cream cheese dough, crushed pineapple, maraschino cherries, and chopped nuts. Soft, cake-like drop cookies with tropical fruit flavors baked on accordion-pleated foil.

YIELD

12 servings

PREP

10 min

COOK

20 min

READY

30 min

These soft, cakey drop cookies are loaded with tropical mix-ins: crushed pineapple, chopped maraschino cherries, and nuts folded into a cream cheese-enriched dough. The cream cheese makes the cookies tender and slightly tangy, balancing out the sweetness of the fruit.

The dough comes together like a creamed cookie batter. Margarine, cream cheese, and vanilla get blended first, then sugar, then eggs one at a time. Adding eggs individually and beating after each one builds structure and prevents the batter from breaking. The sifted dry ingredients go in last, followed by the fruit and nuts.

Drain both the pineapple and cherries thoroughly before stirring them in. Any extra liquid will make the cookies spread too thin and bake unevenly. The original recipe uses an accordion-pleated foil technique on the baking sheet, which creates ridges that keep the cookies from spreading and makes removal easy: just pull the end of the foil and the cookies pop right off.

Kitchen Tips

  • Cream cheese should be at room temperature so it blends smoothly with the margarine
  • Squeeze the crushed pineapple in a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth to get as much liquid out as possible
  • Chop the maraschino cherries and pat dry with paper towels before adding
  • If you skip the accordion foil method, use parchment paper and expect slightly flatter cookies

Variations

  • Add shredded coconut to the batter for a more tropical flavor
  • Swap maraschino cherries for dried mango pieces for a less sweet, chewier bite
  • Use macadamia nuts for a true Hawaiian twist

Ingredients

½ 118
CUP ML MARGARINE
2 10
TEASPOONS ML BAKING POWDER
3 86.7
OUNCES ML/G CREAM CHEESE
1 5
TEASPOON ML BAKING SODA
1 5
TEASPOON ML VANILLA EXTRACT
½ 2.5
TEASPOON ML SALT
1 237
CUP ML SUGAR
1 1
CAN CAN PINEAPPLE
crushed, drained *
2 2
LARGE LARGE EGGS
½ 118
CUP ML MARASCHINO CHERRIES
drain *
2 ¼ 532
½ 118
CUP ML NUTS
chopped

Directions

Blend together margarine, cream cheese and vanilla; add sugar and mix well.

Add eggs, one at at time, beating well after each addition.

Gradually add sifted dry ingredients; mix thorougly.

Stir in pineapple, cherries, and nuts.

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto three accordian pleated pans.

  • Bake at 350℉ (180℃) for 15 minutes. To remove cookies easily, pull end of foil until cookies pop off.

*To make each pan, cut four 2 foot lengths of foil.

Accordian pleat in 1 inch fold and place on a cookie sheet.

* not incl. in nutrient facts Arrow up button

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Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 72g (2.5 oz)
Amount per Serving
Calories 290 44% from fat
 % Daily Value *
Total Fat 14g 22%
Saturated Fat 4g 18%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 43mg 14%
Sodium 281mg 12%
Total Carbohydrate 12g 12%
Dietary Fiber 1g 5%
Sugars g
Protein 10g
Vitamin A 10% Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 4% Iron 9%
* based on a 2,000 calorie diet How is this calculated?
Trans-fat Free
 

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