These Coconut Pineapple Cookies will fulfill your craving for all things tropical. Whip up a batch of these easy treats for a party or just as a delicious snack!

When I finished making the Pineapple Rum Cake for Kyle and Joel's Gr8 Dinner, A Night in Margaritaville, there was leftover Pineapple Filling; not because the recipe is wrong, but because I always double things like this to ensure there is enough filling to satisfy me.

The filling looked at me every time I opened my refrigerator, as if to say, "I'm delicious...what are you going to do with me?"

So, I found an Ina Garten recipe for thumbprint cookies that are rolled in coconut. Perfect! (In case you don't have any Pineapple Filling staring at you from your fridge, the recipe is below.)

Now, I have never really cared for coconut, but what I've discovered as an adult is that I don't like the commercial, processed, sweetened coconut sold in most grocery stores.

For both the cake and these cookies I used coconut from Sprouts Market, while still sweetened a little bit, it seems to be less processed. (Maybe I'm just imagining things.) But, when it's baked onto these cookies, it has a yummy toasty crunch that is just divine.

Having a luau or tropical party...or maybe you just love tropical flavors? Definitely give these a whirl!

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Coconut Pineapple Cookies

Makes 42 cookies (and if you weight them, it should yield exactly 42!) Recipe adapted from Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa Family Style

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time25 mins

Chilling Time30 mins

Total Time1 hr 15 mins

Course: Cookies, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Coconut Pineapple Thumbprint Cookies

Servings: 42 cookies

Author: Anna

Ingredients

Cookie Ingredients

• 3/4 pound 3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or rum extract
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 egg lightly beaten with 1 Tablespoon water, for egg wash
• 7 ounces sweetened flaked coconut
• Pineapple filling, and/or raspberry and/or apricot jam

Pineapple Filling

• 1 8-ounce can crushed pineapple
• 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons corn starch

Instructions

Cookie Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350º F.
• Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until they are just combined and then mix in the vanilla.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.
• Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix on low speed.
• When the dough is completely incorporated, wrap it in plastic then refrigerate for a minimum of a half hour.
• Use a 1-inch cookie scoop or melon baller or teaspoon and make 1-inch balls. (If you want to be precise, they should each weigh 3/4-ounce.) Make all the dough balls first.
• Then make the egg wash in one shallow bowl and put the coconut into another shallow dish.
• Roll each ball into the egg wash and then in the coconut and then place onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
• Make sure the balls are about 2-inches apart on the cookie sheet.
• With your knuckle make a dent in the middle of each cookie, make to not go all the way through the dough.
• Put between 1/4 and 1/2 teaspoon of pineapple filling into the middle of each cookie. (I didn't measure this, I just mounded it slightly into the indentation.)
• Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes. The coconut should be lightly browned.
• Cool and serve.

Pineapple Filling

• In a medium saucepan stir all ingredients together.
• Heat over medium-high until thickened, 4-6 minutes.
• Set aside to cool completely before using on cookies.

Notes

Gr8 Tip:

To make these for the holidays use the raspberry or apricot jam,too. How pretty would all of those beautiful colors look on a platter!

Tried this recipe?Mention @Great8Friends or tag #gr8food!