Italian Pineapple Cookies

Step 1

In a medium saucepan, add drained, crushed pineapple and sugar and cook over medium heat until thickened (depending on your stove, it may take up to 30-45 minutes - just be careful to not burn it)

Step 2

While the mixture is cooking, place cornstarch in a small bowl and add in about 2 tablespoons of the reserved pineapple juice and mix until the cornstarch is blended (you can freeze the pineapple juice to use later in a cocktail or to marinate chicken)

Step 3

At about the 20 minute mark, add the cornstarch mixture and continue cooking.

Step 4

Place jam mixture covered, in the refrigerator (or cool space like a cellar) overnight if possible.

Step 5

In a small cup, add warm water, yeast and sugar and stir well; set aside to wait for the yeast to 'bloom' (if the yeast doesn't get 'puffy', it's probably not active anymore).

Step 6

On a clean countertop or a very large bowl (I used my largest stainless steel bowl), mix together all the dry (dough) ingredients; make a well/hole in the centre of the dry ingredients and add yeast mixture, beaten eggs and vanilla into the well. Mix the wet ingredients together gently and then begin to incorporate the dry ingredients until it all comes together to form a dough (though dough will seem very greasy...that's okay)

Step 7

If you can, cover the dough with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight (if you don't have the time, place in the freezer for 15-20 minutes).

Step 8

When you are ready to assemble the cookies, take out the dough and dust your countertop with icing sugar (do not use flour...see NOTES); divide the dough into 16 pieces.

Step 9

Preheat oven to 350 as you prepare the cookies; Line a baking sheet with either a Silpat mat or parchment paper.

Step 10

Beginning with one of the 16 pieces, roll out the dough into a circular shape (ensure you use enough icing sugar to make sure the dough doesn't stick) and with a pastry cutter, cut it into 12 pieces; spoon out about 1 tsp of the jam onto the large end of each triangle (see photo above) and roll inward. To ensure the the pineapple jam doesn't seep out, gently fold in the edges (see photo above).

Step 11

Place the finished cookies onto the baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, checking the bottom of the cookies to ensure they don't get too browned (if your oven tends to burn cookies on the bottom, double stack your cookie sheets). Bake until the tops just begin to brown (it's hardly noticeable).

Step 12

Store them in a sealed container and use within 5-7 days. You can also freeze the baked cookies in an air-tight container - or freeze the dough and jam (separately) and bake them later.