Pina Colada Macaroons - Tropical Cookies (and a warm haiku)

Anyone in the mood for something tropical...  Everything you like in a Pina Colada all in a cookie!!!

This is a blast from my past when I was living in St. Thomas (US Virgin Islands).  With half the country getting snowed in, thought you might like to see something tropical.

I have 3 dozen of these tropical themed RUM soaked coconut and pineapple (main ingredients in a Pina Colada) beauties.  An adult cookie with a warm tropical taste.

Here's what I did...

This is adapted from a recipe I saw at THE MYSTERY LOVER'S KITCHEN, courtesy of Cleo Coyle, author of the Coffee House Mysteries.

The blue letters are a link to a collection of several terrific cookie recipes the six Merry Murderesses posted just this week.  Take a look and see if you get inspired as well!  And that's an image of Cleo's current paperback, Holiday Grind.  Nothin' says happy Holidays like a good murder mystery!

Cleo's original recipe is more in keeping with a cold winter night, a classic rum/coconut macaroon, but with a chocolate/coffee glaze.

Mine... well, you'll see.  Here's what I did...

Made 48 cookies (I am giving most away, feel free to cut the recipe in half)...

5 cups Sweetened flaked Coconut
2/3 cup Sugar
6 TBS Flour
1 tsp Salt
5 large Egg Whites only
2 tsp Vanilla
4 tsp Cruzan Coconut Rum
1 cup Pineapple Tidbits

• Mix dough: Measure out dry ingredients. 
• In a separate bowl, fork-whip egg whites with vanilla and rum. Combine wet and dry ingredients, stirring until dry ingredients are completely moistened. If you are using the extract, you can bake the cookies right away. Note: if you are using real rum, then you must transfer the mixture to a covered plastic container and allow it to rest in the refrigerator overnight. Macerating like this will allow the flavors to fully develop; otherwise, the rum flavor will be very weak. While a rum extract version of this cookie is quite good, the real rum macaroons will give you a more powerful flavor and the cookie centers will stay moister longer (as long as you store your finished macaroons in an airtight container).
  
• Preheat oven to 350º F. 
• To prevent cookies from sticking, line baking sheet with parchment paper or coat with cooking spray. 
• The forming of the macaroon is the most important step. You want the coconut mixture to be really packed together. Some bakers use scoops. Drop dough by spoonfuls onto prepared baking sheet and use clean fingers to form tight little pyramids. 
• Bake for about 20 minutes. You are watching for edges and tops to lightly brown (see photo). This will give you the perfect, slightly crunchy outside and soft, chewy inside that is the perfect macaroon

Maybe I can replace the song in your head with some tropical images...

 Sea turtles and a little shark

 Octopus

 Baracuda

a working woman and her personal chef

Close your eyes and know

Somewhere in the world it IS

Warm and Tropical

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So,  I am pleased to list this as one of my Growing list of  "52 Ways to Cook COOKIE, BARS and TRUFFLES"!!!

Old school like classic criss cross peanut butter to new takes on interesting recipes like a beautiful Red Velvet with the cream cheese mixed inside the cookie, accented with white chocolate chips!  Even a Pineapple Cream Cheese EASY Bar with only 5 ingredients! 

Stop on by, there's always a new cookie in the cookie jar!

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