Adapted from a 1930s Better Homes and Gardens recipe, these cookies were a favorite of mine from childhood. Evidently, they have appeared under many different names over the years. Some of these include “Thimble Cookies” and “Wee Tom Thumbs.” We’ve always just called them Cherry Winks. However, I had to make several changes to them to fit my family’s dietary needs. The cookies I make now are gluten-free and nut-free. They retain the texture of a light fruitcake. There is some debate if there is such a thing as a light fruit cake. You may remember this texture from an original Cherry Wink recipe if you were so lucky to try one!
Adaptions
To make these cookies gluten-free, I’ve used my go-to 1:1 flour (with xantham gum) King Author Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour.
I’ve skipped the nuts completely. I rinsed the cherries to make the dough less sticky. I’ve used fresh dates in my recipe. Some version of this recipe feature raisins, which is a reasonable substitute to use if you can’t find dates.
To make life easier, put this dough together in a food processor with the dough blade, if you have one.
Finally, these cookies are scooped and then rolled in crushed up cereal. I use the Nature’s Path Organic Honey’D Corn Flakes Cereal (this is an affiliate link), but you can use your gluten-free favorite. I’ve used also used Corn Chex in the past.
Prepping the dough
This dough can be placed in the fridge over night. As a busy parent, I’ve found it easier to mix up dough and chill it overnight. Baking it off the next day simplifies preparation in the lead-up to the holiday season.
Most gluten-free dough is pretty sticky. This dough is no exception. Working with chilled dough makes the process easier. Make sure to chill this dough for at least 30 min before trying to scoop it.
Gluten-Free, Nut-Free, Cherry Winks
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup shortening
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tbsp milk lactose-free or plant-based is OK
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup gluten-free flour blend
- 1 tsp xantham gum omit if your flour blend contains this
- 1/2 cup chopped dates
- 1/2 cup stemless maraschino cherries, rinsed and patted dry
- 2 cups gluten-free corn-flake cereal, crushed
- 9 stemless maraschino cherries cut into fourths, rinsed and patted dry
Instructions
- Fit your food processor, if using, with a dough blade.
- Combine the sugar, shortening, baking powder, and salt together. Pulse or mix to combine.
- Add in the eggs, milk, and vanilla, mix or pulse until combined.
- Add in flour and pulse to combine. Scrap down sides as needed.
- Add in dates and cherries, mix or pulse to combine but do not overmix the fruit.
- Chill the dough for at least 30 min. or overnight.
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
- Drop by teaspoons into the crushed cereal. I use a #40 cookie scoop and then divide the dough into two smaller balls. Roll the dough balls into the cereal until they are covered.
- Place the cookies 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.
- Top each cookie with 1/4 of a cherry.
- Bake for 12 minutes, the bottoms will be lightly browned. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 2 minutes before transferring the cookies to a wire rack to cool.
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