October 23, 2023
Review RecipeCherry Wink Cookies
Crunchy and sweet with a bright cherry on top, these cherry wink cookies are a delightful treat all year round.
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Table of Contents
These adorable cherry wink cookies are a dessert that we have made for years, and they never disappoint! A yummy cookie with the perfect amount of sweetness and crispy cornflake crunch, they will be sure to please.
Cherry Wink Cookies Ingredients
You’ll need:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup crushed cornflakes
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup shortening
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2½ tablespoons half-and-half
- 1¼ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup roughly chopped pecans
- 1 cup roughly chopped pitted dates
- ⅓ cup finely chopped maraschino cherries, patted dry
- 2 cups cornflakes, roughly crushed
- 15 maraschino cherries, patted dry and quartered
SUBSTITUTIONS AND ADDITIONS
DATES: You can substitute 1 cup of raisins for the 1 cup of dates in this cherry winks recipe.
NUTS: You can substitute any chopped nut for the pecans. Or, if you want to go nut-free, you can leave them out entirely of these cherry winks cornflakes cookies.
CORNFLAKES: Substitute Frosted Flakes for cornflakes in this cherry winks cookie recipe for an extra sweet crunch.
CHERRIES: Sometimes, around the holidays, you can find green maraschino cherries. These would be a fun way to add a bit of extra festive spirit to your cookies. Make half with red and half with green if you’d like for fun cherry wink Christmas cookies.
How To Make This Cherry Wink Cookies Recipe
STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
STEP TWO: Using a medium bowl, whisk the flour, 1 cup of crushed cornflakes, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set dry ingredients aside.
STEP THREE: Using either a stand mixer or a medium-sized mixing bowl and a handheld electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the shortening and white sugar for 1 to 1½ minutes.
STEP FOUR: Lower the mixer speed to low speed. Add the eggs 1 at a time, mixing well after each egg.
STEP FIVE: Add in the half-and-half and vanilla. Mix just until incorporated.
STEP SIX: Keeping the mixer speed on low, slowly add in the flour mixture. Mix just until well combined.
STEP SEVEN: Fold in the pecans, chopped dates, and chopped cherries.
PRO TIP:
You want to make sure your chopped cherries are not really wet. Make sure the paper towel soaks up as much extra juice as possible.
STEP EIGHT: Using a 1 tablespoon scoop, scoop out the cookie dough.
OUR RECIPE DEVELOPER SAYS
You can make smaller or larger dough balls if you wish. If making larger cookies, you will need to add up to 5 minutes to the baking time. Just keep a very close eye on the cookies to ensure they do not overcook. If you’ve got small balls of dough for smaller cookies, you can reduce the bake time by 2 minutes, but again keep a close eye on the cookies.
STEP NINE: Roll the scooped dough in the 2 cups of crushed cornflakes. Once the dough is completely coated, shape it into a ball and place the balls on the cookie sheet, spacing the coated dough balls 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
PRO TIP:
For easier handling of the dough and to prevent it from sticking to your hands, dust your hands with a bit of flour or spray with a bit of cooking spray.
STEP TEN: Place 1 quarter of a maraschino cherry in the center of the dough ball.
STEP ELEVEN: Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the bottom edge of the cookie is golden brown.
PRO TIP:
Oven temperatures vary and may need to be recalibrated periodically to ensure they are accurate. Make sure to check your cookies at the lower end of the recommended baking time.
STEP TWELVE: Allow the cookies to rest on the cookie sheet for 2 to 3 minutes and then place cookies on a wire rack. Allow the cookies to cool completely.
How To Serve
These delightful little cookies would be a cute addition to your holiday cookie tray this Christmas season or any time of year. Serve with a warm whipped hot chocolate or homemade pumpkin spice latte to wash these delectable cookies down.
Cherry is such a delightful flavor, both vibrant and delicious. Check out our cherry fluff and cherry chip cake for two more divine choices.
MORE COOKIES RECIPES
Storage
ON THE COUNTER: Store any leftovers of these old-fashioned cookies in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
IN THE FREEZER: You can freeze the baked cookies for up to 2 months. Allow the cookies to thaw completely before serving.
Cherry wink cookies are cherry-flavored cookies that look like they wink at you! The cherry on top of each cookie adds a delightful bright pop of color to make you smile. I promise, they will soon become family favorites all year round.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Can I leave out the nuts in this cherry winks recipe?
If you want to leave the nuts out, it won’t affect the deliciousness or the tasty crunch of these cookies one bit.
Can I freeze these wink cookies?
Cherry winks cornflake cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to two months.
Should I store wink cookies in the fridge?
These cornflake cherry winks cookies will easily store on the counter in an airtight container for up to four days.
More Recipes You’ll Love
- Cool Whip Cookies
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- Secret Kiss Cookies
- Twix Cookies
- Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Rice Krispie Treats
- Cherry Kiss Cookies
- Reese’s Cookies
- Gingerbread Cookies
- Filled Cookie Recipe
- No Bake Cherry Cheesecake
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- Cherry Pineapple Dump Cake
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Cherry Wink Cookies
Crunchy and sweet with a bright cherry on top, these cherry wink cookies are a delightful treat all year round.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 60
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup cornflakes, crushed
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup shortening
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2½ tablespoons half-and-half
- 1¼ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup pecans, roughly chopped
- 1 cup pitted dates, roughly chopped
- ⅓ cup maraschino cherries, finely chopped and patted dry
- 2 cups cornflakes, roughly crushed
- 15 maraschino cherries, patted dry and quartered
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
- Using a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk the flour, 1 cup of crushed cornflakes, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set it aside.
- Using either a stand mixer or a medium mixing bowl and a handheld mixer on medium-high speed, beat the shortening and granulated sugar for 1 to 1½ minutes.
- Lower the mixer speed to low. Add the eggs 1 at a time, mixing well after each egg.
- Add in the half-and-half and vanilla. Mix just until incorporated.
- Keeping the mixer speed on low, slowly add in the flour mixture. Mix just until well combined.
- Fold in the pecans, dates and chopped cherries.
- Using a 1 tablespoon scoop, scoop out the cookie dough.
- Roll the scooped dough in the 2 cups of crushed cornflakes. Once the dough is completely coated, shape into a ball and place on the cookie sheet, spacing the coated dough balls 2 inches apart.
- Place 1 of the quartered cherries in the center of the dough ball.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the bottom edge of the cookie is golden.
- Allow the cookies to rest on the cookie sheet for 2 to 3 minutes before transferring the cookies to a cooling rack. Allow the cookies to completely cool.
Notes
- You want to make sure your chopped cherries are not really wet. Make sure the paper towel soaks up as much extra juice as possible.
- You can make smaller or larger dough balls if you wish. If making larger cookies, you will need to add up to 5 minutes to the baking time. Just keep a very close eye on the cookies to ensure they do not overcook. If you’ve got small balls of dough for smaller cookies, you can reduce the bake time by 2 minutes, but again keep a close eye on the cookies.
- For easier handling of the dough and to prevent it from sticking to your hands, dust your hands with a bit of flour or spray with a bit of cooking spray.
- Oven temperatures vary and may need to be recalibrated periodically to ensure they are accurate. Make sure to check your cookies at the lower end of the recommended baking time.
Nutrition
Calories: 89kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 42mg | Potassium: 40mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 39IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 1mg
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Comments
Gloria says
These are an old classic!
Paula says
A friend told me about these cookiesโฆ Iโve never had them so could you tell me what is your opinion of their taste? Thank you
Layne Kangas says
They are very yummy!
Doris says
Can I substitute dried cranberries for the dates rather then raisins?
Layne Kangas says
Hi, Doris – I think you should work! Let me know how you like it, enjoy!