Li Hing Pineapple Macadamia Nut Butter Cookie

Topline: A dusting of li hing mui powder—a popular Hawaiian treat made from salted plums and licorice—provides the perfect counterpoint to the bits of sweet candied pineapple. Crunchy, roasted macadamia nuts, macadamia butter, and fresh creamery butter provide the foundation for this unusual and VERY tasty cookie. Toasted coconut adds a tropical note, and raw turbinado sugar rounds out its complex depth of flavor. From Tom: "After the success of my ginger cookie recipe (with my friends all asking for more samples), I set out to create a second flavor. Again hoping to marry a crunchy texture of macadamia nuts with bits of chewy, fruity deliciousness, I began experimenting with local Hawaiian dried fruits,  such as candied mango, papaya, and banana. Naturally, pineapple came to mind, but on its own, I found it cloyingly sweet—until I combined it with li hing mui powder, which is often sprinkled on fresh pineapple here in Hawaii. The combination magically created a flavor I had never tas