Drop Cookies/Tropical Snow Cookies Recipe

I love drop cookies. Once the dough is prepared, the rest of the preparation is quick and simple. Many of our all time favorite cookies are drop cookies; chocolate chip and oatmeal are two that immediately come to mind.

Drop cookie dough is somewhat softer than other cookie doughs, enabling them to be easily dropped from a spoon onto the cookie sheet, or first rolled into balls. The heat of the oven spreads the dough out so that we are generally left with a rounded flatter cookie.

Since I live in South Florida, and the holidays will be here before we are ready, here is a recipe that evokes both the tropics and northern winters...

Tropical Snow Cookies

Ingredients:
1/2 cup pure butter, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup Crisco shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. dark rum, or pure rum extract
2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup tropical-blend mixed dried fruit bits (may substitute other dried fruit bits such as those used for fruit cakes)
1 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup chopped macadamia nuts

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. In large mixing bowl, beat butter and shortening on high speed.
3. Add sugar, baking soda, and salt. Beat until combined.
4. Beat in eggs, vanilla extract, and rum or rum extract until combined.
5. Slowly beat in the flour, the fruit bits, the coconut, and the nuts.
6. Drop dough by rounded teaspoons about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.
7. Lightly press additional coconut onto the tops of the cookies.
8. Bake for 9 to 11 min., or until the edges are light brown.
9. Gently transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool.

Makes approximately 60 cookies.

Happy Baking!

Next Week: Rolled Cookies