Baking Birthday Cookies for America

Baking birthday cookies is a sweet way to celebrate the Fourth of July. Since cookies is one of America’s favorite foods, and pina colada is a popular tropical drink, let’s combine them into one delicious package called pina colada cookies.

These soft and moist cookies need a touch of rum, but the alcohol will evaporate during baking.

Unsalted butter,	½ cup or 1 stick
softened
Sugar	1 cup
Eggs	2 large
Rum	2 Tbsp
All purpose flour	2 cups
Baking soda	¼ tsp
Salt	¼ tsp
Crushed pineapple, drained	½ cup
Flaked coconut	2/3 cup
Peanuts, coarsely chopped	1 cup

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

• Cream softened butter and sugar on medium speed until light.

• Add eggs and rum; combine well.
  
  
  
  
  
• Fold in flour, baking soda, and salt. Then add crushed pineapple, coconut flakes, and chopped peanuts.
  
  
• Drop dough by tablespoons onto prepared cookie sheets, spacing about 2-inches apart.

• Bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until lightly browned.
  
  
• Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool completely. Store pina colada cookies in an airtight container. This recipe makes about 3 dozen cookies.
  
  
  
  
• Dust cookies with confectioners’ sugar before serving if desired. Macadamia nuts is a good substitute for peanuts.

I adapted this recipe for pina colada birthday cookies from Sweet Maria’s Cookie Jar by Maria Bruscino Sanchez. First edition: October 2002. St. Martin’s Griffin, N.Y.