Here we are, in the dead of winter. By many accounts Pittsburgh has had it easy winter-wise these last few years, but Mother Nature seems to be making up for lost time. This winter reminds me of those from my childhood, snowy and very cold. And while I’m not a winter hater, I’m definitely ready for some warm weather.

Pineapples grow in tropical climates, of course, and I would love to be in one of those right now. These treats would be fun for a summer party, especially because pineapples are a symbol of hospitality. I’ll definitely make these again, maybe along with some watermelon cut-outs for a bright, fun cookie tray.

Ingredients

For the cookies

• 8 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

For the frosting

• 6 tablespoons shortening
• dash of salt
• 2 egg whites
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons almond extract
• 1 – 2 teaspoons water, if necessary
• Yellow and green food coloring

Preparation

Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.

Cream together butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg and beat well. Add vanilla and about half the flour mixture, beating until combined; beat in remaining flour.

Note: if your dough is too crumbly, you can add just a bit of water or another 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla.

Divide dough in half and knead each just slightly.  Form each half into a disc and place on plastic wrap; cover with another piece of plastic wrap and roll out to flatten into about 1/4 inch thickness. This helps later on, so you don’t have to work your dough as much when rolling and re-rolling after cutting, making your cookies more tender. Refrigerate until just barely firm, about 20-30 minutes. If you refrigerate overnight, let your dough stand at room temperature for about 15 minutes before you roll it out.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove dough from fridge and roll to about 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into shapes and place on baking sheets about 2 inches apart; I baked 6 pineapples per sheet, and my cutter is 4 inches tall.

Bake for 8-10 minutes, until just golden at the edges.  Cool on a wire rack completely before frosting.

To make the frosting, combine shortening, egg whites, salt, and one cup powdered sugar in a mixing bowl.  Beat on low speed until combined, then increase speed to medium, then high, and beat for 1 minute. Add remaining powdered sugar, one cup at a time, beating for about 1 minute each time. Add extracts and beat; if your frosting is too thick, add 1-2 teaspoons of water. You want a smooth consistency that’s easy to pipe.

Take about 1/4 of your frosting and place it in a small bowl. Tint green for pineapple leaves. Tint remaining frosting yellow.

Fit a piping bag with a small star tip (or a leaf tip, if you prefer) and fill with green frosting; fit another bag with a medium star tip and fill with yellow frosting. Pipe the yellow stars in even lines across each pineapple, then pipe on leaves. Allow frosting to harden before storing; store between sheets of parchment or waxed paper so the cookies don’t stick together. Makes about 22 cookies.