Hawaiian Mood Cookies

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