Pineapple Oatmeal Cookies

Something more?

The grandkids were over again, and once more, it seemed like the perfect occasion for cookie-making. This time, I had an idea for my little scientist to test. I had my eye on a particular cookie, one I remembered finding on the counter after school. I could almost taste it in my mind and wanted to see how close my memories came. But I also suspected there was room in this cookie for something more. It was already loaded--chock full of pineapple, nuts, and coconut--but I wondered if chocolate chips would add to or detract from its tropical flair.   

The other question was, what kind of chips would be best? White chocolate seemed the obvious choice. Pineapple and coconut provided the tropical flavor, and it seemed that white chocolate would add a creamy touch--almost like a pina colada in a cookie.  

On the other hand, semi-sweet chocolate chips are almost always my go-to. They add a nice counterbalance to a cookie's sweetness, so I decided we would try those too. We would also leave some plain. I proposed this idea to my little scientist, and he enthusiastically agreed. Our test was a go. 

How to Make Pineapple Oatmeal Cookies

It all began with shortening. If I had strictly relied on the results of our Butterscotch Cookie test, I would have gone straight for butter as a base, but the pineapple in this batter was an unknown factor. It added moisture that cookies don’t usually have. So, I stuck with shortening. I only did half a batch, so here is a half cup in my trusty measuring device from Pampered Chef. 

As the recipe instructed, I creamed together the shortening, sugar, and eggs. 

I then added the chunky stuff--the pineapple, nuts, and coconut. The mixture looked a little curdled after it was all beaten together. However, I did not fear. 

The flour, leavening, and oats went in next. 

I mixed that up and the dough wasn't as runny as I thought it might be. It held up well when scooped onto a baking sheet, which I had lined with a silicone liner instead of greasing. 

I portioned the remaining dough into two bowls and called my little scientist over to help. He poured half a cup of chips into each, which might have been a bit much. 

I placed some of each kind of cookie onto the baking sheet and baked them at the suggested time and temperature. When they came out, they were a little overdone, so I lowered the temperature for the next batch. 

We ignored the extra crispiness because we were hungry and ready to taste them. I cut some up and portioned them out to all my testers. 

The Verdict

We tasted the no-chip cookie first. My little scientist took one bite and dropped the rest on the table. I think it was the nuts that turned him off, but for me, that one bite was like a step back in time. It tasted exactly as I remembered it.   

Next, my little scientist took a tiny bite of the white-chip cookie, took a bigger one, and gave me a thumbs up. Then he tasted the semi-sweet cookie, and the contest was over for him. That was the one for him. 

Everyone else agreed--the semi-sweet was the best. But honestly, I would have happily eaten any of the variations. In fact, I might try the white chocolate with macadamia nuts next time just to double down on the Hawaiian theme. I’ll also try the base dough with butter and let you know how it goes. 

In the meantime, give this tropical delight a try. No matter how you fill it, this cookie is a winner.