Coconut Pineapple Clusters

I found this recipe in the All You magazine. In case you're not familiar with All You, it has several recipes, cooking tips, fashion tips, miscellaneous articles I would say mainly geared toward women. The big reason most people I know who get it buy it is for the coupons. It always has several coupons every month. This is not a regular magazine stand purchase, it can only be found at Wal-Mart or through ordering a subscription. Anyway, I have found several recipes over the last several months since I have started receiving the magazine.

Corey has been asking for sweets a lot lately. When I saw this recipe the picture looked good. Reading over the ingredients, I was a little nervous about trying it. I just couldn't imagine rice blending well with the other ingredients. But trust me, it does. I opted to not drizzle but add the chocolate chips before baking. They turned out good. They remind me of a coconut macaroon but with a hint of pineapple.

Coconut Pineapple Clusters

1 1/2 cups Minute White Rice, uncooked
1 package (14 oz) flaked sweetened coconut
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 can (8oz) Dole Crushed Pineapple, well drained
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp grated lemon peel
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
non-stick cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare rice according to package directions. Cool. Combine all except chocolate chips in bowl, mix well. Drop by heaping tablespoons onto baking sheet lined with parchment paper and lightly sprayed with non-stick spray. bake 18 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheet 5 minutes, remove cookies to wire racks. Cool completely. Melt chocolate chips according to package directions. Pour chocolate into a resealable plastic bag. Snip off a corner with scissors or a knife to make 1/8 inch hole, drizzle chocolate over cookies.
Can use left over rice. If desired, chocolate chips do not need to be melted and drizzled over cookies, can be added to the batter before baking.

**I think next time I make these I will leave out the lemon juice and add some of the pineapple juice in its place.
**Be sure you drain the pineapple really well. I didn't drain enough and the mix was a little runny.
**Don't forget the spray, they are a little sticky.

**After eating on these a couple days I must say, if you are like us and cookies last several days, you may want to cut the recipe in half. On day three the rice has become hard and we have both decided this isn't a cookie for us. The day I made them they were pretty good, but I am now going to be throwing about half of them away.