Cuban recipe

Christmas Cookies with Walnuts, Dates and Cherries

Name: Christmas Cookies with Walnuts, Dates and Cherries
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 100 min
Ingredients: 140 g all-purpose wheat flour; 2 g baking powder (approximately ½ teaspoon); 1 g baking soda (approximately ¼ teaspoon); 1 g salt; 85 g softened butter; 100 g sugar; 1 large egg; 15 ml milk; ½ teaspoon vanilla; 55 g shelled walnuts, chopped; 75 g pitted dates, chopped; 35 g cherries in syrup, drained, dried and chopped; 60 g unsweetened cornflakes, coarsely crushed; 8 additional cherries in syrup, drained and quartered (one quarter per cookie)

Small cookies with walnuts, dates and cherries, coated in crunchy cornflakes. An adaptation of a Christmas classic from the Cuban recipe collection.

CiberCubaNovember 11, 2026

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Preparation30 min
Cooking30 min
Total time1 h 40 min
ServingsAbout 30 small cookies (10 servings of 3 cookies)
DifficultyMedium

These Christmas cookies are adapted from a recipe in Cocina al minuto by Nitza Villapol and Martha Martínez (1956 edition). They combine walnuts, dates and cherries in a buttery dough, with a cornflake coating that turns crisp in the oven.

They are small, irregular, golden cookies, ideal for sharing on Christmas Eve or New Year's Eve. The dough can be portioned with a teaspoon, and each cookie is topped with a piece of red cherry.

Method

Prepare the dough

Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Chop the walnuts, dates and cherries into small pieces.
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Beat the butter and sugar until creamy. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until combined.
Add the dry ingredients and milk, mixing without overworking the dough. Fold in the chopped walnuts, dates and cherries.
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Cover the dough and refrigerate for 20 minutes to make the cookies easier to shape.

Shape and bake

Preheat the oven to 180 °C (top and bottom heat) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Crush the cornflakes with your hands or a rolling pin, leaving small pieces rather than reducing them to a powder.
Divide the dough into about 30 portions of approximately 22 g. Coat them in the cornflakes, pressing gently to help them stick.
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Place the cookies well apart on the baking sheets, flatten them slightly and place a cherry quarter in the center of each one.
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Bake one sheet at a time for 12-14 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Judge doneness rather than relying on the clock: the centers may be slightly soft when they come out and will firm up as they cool.
Let them rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
AI-generated image.CiberCuba