Line 2 large cookie sheets with cooking parchment paper.
In large bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar with electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form.
Beat in peppermint extract and salt.
Gradually add sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating on high speed until stiff glossy peaks form and sugar is dissolved.
Spoon half of meringue into medium bowl; add food color.
Beat until well blended.
In large decorating bag fitted with #827 star tip, place spoonfuls of white and red meringue side by side, alternating colors and working up from tip of bag.
Do not mix colors together.
Onto cookie sheets, pipe meringue into 1-inch mounds.
Bake 3 hours or until meringues are dry to the touch.
Turn oven off; leave meringues in oven with door closed 1 hour.
Finish cooling at room temperature, about 45 minutes.
In large bowl, beat butter with electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
Add granulated sugar; beat until creamy.
Stir in milk, vanilla, almond extract and salt.
Stir in flour until well mixed.
Measure ½ cup of dough into small resealable food-storage plastic bag; refrigerate.
Divide remaining dough in half; roll each into 6-inch log.
Put the decorating sugars in separate shallow dishes.
Roll 1 log in yellow sugar; roll other log in blue sugar.
Wrap logs separately in plastic wrap or waxed paper.
Refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours.
Heat oven to 350°F.
For each cookie, place 2 pretzels with flat sides touching on ungreased large cookie sheets; place 3 inches apart.
Unwrap logs; cut into 48 (¼-inch) slices.
(If dough cracks, let stand at room temperature a few minutes.
) Fold in opposite sides at top of each slice to make triangular-shaped body; place each slice on top of 2 pretzels so double loops of pretzels form angel wings at each side.
Press lightly into pretzels.
Using reserved dough from plastic bag, roll ½ teaspoon dough into ball; place at top for head.
Press 2 sliced almonds into dough to make songbook.
Bake 11 to 14 minutes or until edges are firm and just begin to brown.
Cool 2 to 3 minutes; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks.
Cool completely, about 15 minutes.
Pipe yellow icing onto cookies to make eyes and hair.
Pipe pink icing to draw mouths.
Let stand until set.
Notes & Wine Advice
Festive Touch
Use this recipe for the project at a kids’ holiday party or even a gift exchange. You could bake the cookies up to 3 days in advance and store them in loosely covered containers to leave the decorating for the party. It’s fun to create together!
In large bowl, beat butter, powdered sugar and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon until well blended.
Stir in flour.
Divide dough in half.
Stir peppermint extract and food color into one half of dough.
Divide red dough and plain dough in half.
On generously floured surface, shape each piece of dough into 12-inch-long rope.
Place 2 ropes, 1 red and 1 plain, side-by-side; twist ropes together.
Repeat with remaining dough.
Cut twisted ropes into ½-inch pieces; shape each into ball.
On ungreased cookie sheets, place balls 1 inch apart.
In small bowl, place granulated sugar.
Dip bottom of glass in granulated sugar, and flatten each ball to about ¼ inch thick.
Bake 7 to 9 minutes or until set.
Remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks.
Notes & Wine Advice
Make-Ahead Magic
You can make and freeze these cookies up to 12 months ahead! Place baked, cooled cookies in a freezer-storage container. Cover and freeze up to 12 months. For softer cookies, thaw covered in container at room temperature 1 to 2 hours. For crisper cookies, remove from container to thaw.
In large bowl, beat butter, sour cream and granulated sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until creamy.
Add egg, lime peel, 1 tablespoon lime juice and the vanilla; beat until smooth.
On low speed, beat in flour, baking soda and salt until dough forms.
Gather dough into ball; divide in half.
Shape each half into a disk; wrap in plastic wrap.
Refrigerate 1 hour.
Heat oven to 375°F.
Place pastry cloth on work surface; sprinkle with flour.
With floured cloth-covered rolling pin, roll 1 disk of dough until ⅛ inch thick.
Cut with floured 3-inch fluted cutter.
With 1-inch scalloped or fluted canapé cutter, cut out center of each circle.
On ungreased cookie sheet, place wreath cutouts 1 inch apart.
Cut each small cutout in half; brush backs of small cutouts with water and place on wreaths for bows.
Repeat with second disk of dough.
Bake 6 to 8 minutes or until edges start to brown.
Remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack; cool completely.
In small bowl, mix powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons of the lime juice with whisk.
Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon lime juice, 1 teaspoon at a time, until glaze is thin.
Working with a few cookies at a time, brush glaze over cookies and immediately decorate with sugars or sprinkles.
Let stand until set.
Store in layers with waxed paper between.
Notes & Wine Advice
Kitchen Secrets
Silicone brushes work very well for brushing the glaze onto the cookies. They can be purchased in most kitchen stores or kitchen sections of department stores.
In large bowl, beat butter and granulated sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy.
Add lemon peel and egg; beat until well blended.
On low speed, beat in flour and salt until well blended.
On floured surface, roll dough until ⅛ inch thick.
Cut with lightly floured 2½- to 3-inch snowflake-shaped cookie cutter.
On ungreased cookie sheets, place cutouts 2 inches apart.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until cookies just begin to brown.
Remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks.
Cool completely, about 20 minutes.
In small bowl, mix powdered sugar, lemon juice and water.
Using small metal spatula, spread glaze over tops of cookies; sprinkle with sparkling sugar.
Let glaze dry before storing in airtight container.
Notes & Wine Advice
Kitchen Secrets
If you don’t have a snowflake-shaped cookie cutter, you can use either a star-shaped or scalloped-edge cutter, and then cut small triangles and pieces out of the center to form snowflakes.
In large bowl, beat butter and granulated sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until creamy.
On low speed, beat in egg, lemon peel and 2 tablespoons lemon juice.
Stir in flour, baking soda and salt until well blended.
Divide dough into 4 equal parts; flatten each part into ½-inch-thick round.
Wrap each in waxed paper or plastic wrap; refrigerate 30 minutes.
Heat oven to 350°F.
Remove 1 round of dough at a time from refrigerator.
Between sheets of floured waxed paper or plastic wrap, roll dough until ¼ to ⅜ inch thick.
Cut with 3-inch cookie cutters in various shapes.
On ungreased cookie sheets, place cutouts 1 inch apart.
Bake 10 to 12 minutes or just until edges are golden.
Cool 1 to 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks.
To make cookies for hanging, use toothpick or end of plastic straw to carefully poke a hole in the top of each cookie while cookies are still hot.
Cool 10 to 15 minutes before frosting.
In medium bowl, stir together powdered sugar and meringue powder.
Stir in 5 teaspoons lemon juice and enough of the 4 to 5 tablespoons water to make a thin icing.
Transfer ½ cup of the icing to small bowl; set aside.
Using a flexible pastry brush, paint cookies to the edges with icing.
Place on cooling rack to dry completely, about 30 minutes.
Beat reserved icing with electric mixer on high speed 5 to 7 minutes or until peaks form.
Spoon into decorating bag or resealable bag with one corner cut off; pipe designs onto glazed cookies.
Before icing dries, sprinkle with decorations, and tap off excess.
Dry thoroughly on cooling rack.
Thread cookies with narrow ribbon for hanging.
Notes & Wine Advice
Make-Ahead Magic
These cookies store well. Once frostings are set (including the decorations), place cookies between layers of cooking parchment or waxed paper, plastic wrap or foil, and freeze up to 2 months.
Colored sugarscandy sprinkles and nonpareils, if desired
FROSTING
2cupspowdered sugar
½teaspoonvanilla
2tablespoonsmilk or half-and-half
Food colorsif desired
1Inlarge bowlmix 1½ cu
Instructions
In large bowl, mix 1½ cups powdered sugar, the butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla, the almond extract and egg until well blended.
Stir in flour, baking soda and cream of tartar.
Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours.
Heat oven to 375°F.
Divide dough in half.
On lightly floured, cloth-covered surface, roll each half of dough to ¼ inch thick.
Cut into assorted shapes with cookie cutters, or cut around patterns traced from storybook illustrations.
If cookies are to be hung as decorations, use the end of a plastic straw to make a hole in each one ¼ inch from top edge.
Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake 7 to 8 minutes or until light brown.
Remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack.
Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
In medium bowl, beat frosting ingredients until smooth and spreadable.
Tint with food color.
Frost and decorate cookies as desired with frosting and colored sugars.
Notes & Wine Advice
Make-Ahead Magic
These cookies can be made ahead and frozen until you need them. Let the frosting dry before storing. Place cookies in a freezer-storage container, with waxed paper between layers. Freeze up to 3 months. Remove cookies from container to thaw.
Kitchen Secrets
For melt-in-your-mouth treats, be sure to mix cookies just enough—but not too much. Too much mixing can result in tough cookies.
Golden Date Treasure Cookies are delicate cream cheese pastry cookies wrapped around a rich filling of sweet dates, crunchy walnuts, fragrant orange zest, and vanilla. Lightly dusted with sparkling sugar, these elegant cookies are perfect for the holidays, afternoon tea, or sharing as homemade edible gifts.
Beat the softened cream cheese, butter, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
Gradually add the flour and mix until a soft dough forms.
Shape the dough into a rectangle.
Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 1 hour.
Meanwhile, combine the chopped dates, water, and granulated sugar in a saucepan.
Bring to a gentle boil.
Reduce the heat and cook for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring frequently, until thickened.
Remove from the heat.
Stir in the orange zest, vanilla, and chopped walnuts.
Allow the filling to cool.
Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C).
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Divide the dough into two equal portions.
Roll each portion into a 10-inch square.
Cut each square into 25 equal pieces.
Place about 1 teaspoon of filling in the center of each square.
Fold two opposite corners over the filling and gently press to seal.
Whisk together the egg white and water.
Brush each cookie lightly with the egg wash.
Sprinkle with the coarse sparkling sugar.
Bake for 13 to 15 minutes until lightly golden.
Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.
Notes & Wine Advice
Recipe Notes
Chilling the dough makes it easier to roll and helps the cookies keep their beautiful shape while baking.Allow the date filling to cool completely before assembling the cookies to prevent the dough from becoming too soft.Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to five days, or freeze them for up to three months.These cookies make wonderful homemade gifts when packaged in decorative tins or cellophane bags with a festive ribbon.
Wine Advice
Serve these festive cookies with a chilled Moscato, whose floral sweetness beautifully complements the dates and orange.For an indulgent dessert pairing, enjoy them with a glass of Tawny Port, whose rich caramel and dried fruit notes match the walnut filling perfectly.
Golden Date Treasure Cookies are buttery pastry cookies wrapped around a rich filling of sweet dates, crunchy walnuts, fragrant orange zest, and vanilla. The cream cheese dough bakes into a delicate, flaky pastry that perfectly complements the naturally caramel-like sweetness of the dates. These elegant cookies are ideal for holiday baking, afternoon tea, or sharing as thoughtful homemade gifts with family and friends.
Why You’ll Love These Filled Cookies
These filled cookies combine a tender pastry with a soft fruit filling that melts in your mouth. Unlike traditional drop cookies, every bite offers layers of buttery pastry and naturally sweet dates. If you enjoy baking homemade treats, you’ll also love browsing our Cookies & Biscuits, Treat Recipes, Dessert Recipes, and High Tea Recipes.
Golden Date Treasure Cookies Ingredients
Golden Date Treasure Cookies use everyday pantry ingredients to create bakery-quality results. Cream cheese produces an exceptionally tender dough, while orange zest brightens the rich date filling and chopped walnuts provide a pleasant crunch. These festive pastries are wonderful additions to holiday cookie platters and make beautiful homemade gifts. Discover more festive inspiration in our Christmas Recipes, Gift-Giving Recipes, and Holiday Recipes.
Serving Ideas
Serve these filled cookies with freshly brewed coffee, tea, or hot chocolate for an elegant afternoon treat. They’re equally delicious after dinner or arranged on a festive dessert table. For even more homemade baking inspiration, explore our Snack Recipes and Cake Recipes.
Storage Tips
Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to five days, where they’ll remain wonderfully tender. They also freeze beautifully for up to three months, making them perfect for preparing ahead during the busy holiday season. For additional food safety guidance, visit the FDA Food Safety website.
Whether you’re baking for Christmas, preparing homemade gifts, or simply treating your family to something special, Golden Date Treasure Cookies deliver buttery pastry, fruity sweetness, and timeless homemade charm in every bite.
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The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
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