Cherry Winks are a classic cld fashioned cookie recipe that’s filled with cherries and nuts and rolled in a crispy cornflake coating.
Old-Fashioned Cherry Winks
I have a lot of favorite cookies that I enjoy during the holidays and most of those recipes are already up on the site. (My favorite are Granny’s Surprise Cookies). This year, I decided to branch out from my favorites and try some new ones. Cookies freeze really well and you can start baking now and put them in the freezer to use throughout the upcoming holidays!
While browsing in an antique store recently, I found some old church cookbooks. I love to look through these community type cookbooks and see what people were cooking back in the day. One cookie recipe immediately caught my eye because it had cornflake crumbs in it. And cherries! They were called “Cherry Winks” — both the name and ingredients intrigued me.
Well… I must say that the Cherry Winks did not disappoint!
So, let me describe how amazing these cookies are. They are cake-y and sweet, with a crunchy coating that is absolutely divine. They have dates, nuts, and cherries in the dough, but those ingredients just seem to melt perfectly into the cookie. Sweet, but not too sweet.
This gem of a cookie is fairly well known but I had never even heard of it much less tasted it. I had no idea what I was missing. I was telling a friend of mine about my discovery, and she said her mom had made them for her family.
This might just be my new favorite cookie!
Ingredients
- 5 cups cornflakes
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans)
- 1 cup pitted dates, finely chopped
- 1/3 cup maraschino cherries, chopped
- 15 maraschino cherries, cut into quarters
Helpful Kitchen Tools
- Stand Mixer or Handheld Electric Mixer
- Mixing bowl
- Baking Sheets
- Wire Cooling Rack
Instructions
To Prep:Â
- Crush the cornflakes into coarse crumbs and set aside.
- Drain cherries and set aside.
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Pre-heat oven to 375°F
To Make the Cookies
- Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside flour mixture while you start the batter.
- Measure butter and sugar into a large mixing bowl. Cream together on medium speed until very light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla to the sugar and butter mixture. Beat well. Add sifted dry ingredients and mix until combined.
- Stir in nuts, dates, and cherries.
- Shape level tablespoons into balls and roll the cookie dough balls in the crushed corn flakes. Place cookies onto greased or lined cookie sheet. Top each cookie with a cherry quarter and bake for 12 minutes. Remove immediately from baking sheet and cool on a wire rack.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Many Cookies Does This Recipe Yield?
This is a BIG batch of cookie dough and will make plenty to feed a crowd or for holiday gifting. Your final count may vary a bit based on the exact size of your cookies, but it generally makes about 5 dozen.
What Nuts Should I Use?
When I baked this recipe, I used chopped walnuts because that is what I had handy. Chopped pecans would also taste fabulous! In a pinch, you could probably use chopped almonds. It’s really just a matter of preference!
Do These Cookies Need To Be Refrigerated?
Cherry wink cookies do not require refrigeration. I recommend storing them in airtight containers at room temperature. You can also freeze them for long-term storage (up to 2-3 months). Simply place the cookies in a freezer bag, with parchment paper between layers. You can also wrap individual cookies in plastic wrap. It’s a little more work, but they will keep a bit longer this way.
More Classic Cookie Recipes To Try:
- Old Fashioned Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Christmas Sweeties Cookies
- Oatmeal Lace Cookies
- Cherry Thumbprint Cookies
- Thick and Fluffy Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Sand Dollar Cookies
Cherry Winks Recipe (Printable Recipe Card)
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Cherry Wink Cookies
Equipment
- Hand mixer
- Small mixing bowl
- large mixing bowl
- Cooling rack
- Cookie Sheet
Ingredients
- 5 cups corn flakes
- 2 1/4 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup chopped nuts, chopped pecans or walnuts
- 1 cup pitted chopped dates
- 1/3 cup maraschino cherries drained and chopped
- 15 maraschino cherries drained and cut into quarters
Instructions
To Prep:
- Preheat oven to 375°F
- Crush the cornflakes into coarse crumbs, set aside.
- Drain cherries and set aside.
To Make The Cookies:
- Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, set aside.
- Measure butter and sugar into a large mixing bowl. Beat until very light and fluffy.
- Add eggs and vanilla to the sugar and butter mixture. Beat well.
- Add sifted dry ingredients and mix until combined.
- Stir in nuts, dates, and cherries.
- Shape level tablespoons into balls and roll in the cornflakes.
- Place cookies onto greased or lined cookie sheet. Top each cookie with a cherry quarter.
- Bake at 375 for about 12 minutes or until lightly browned.
- Remove immediately from baking sheet and cool on a wire rack.
Notes
Nutrition
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