Christmas Bratzli Cookies

Bratzlis

            Making Bratzlis has been a Christmas tradition in our family for more than four generations.  Every Christmas, the whole family gets together to roll the dough into “snake lines” which we then snip and shape into little balls to be cooked into Bratzlis.  Of course, it’s no fun making Bratzlis if you don’t keep tasting the cookies, and dough, to make sure it “tastes good!”

            Bratzlis are a traditional cookie from Switzerland.  Four generations ago my great great grandma came over on a ship from Switzerland, and making Bratzlis is a way to celebrate my Swiss heritage.  It has been told that when my Great great grandma (Elise) made these cookies , the iron was circle, and made to fit into the ring on the old stoves.  When we make Bratzlis now with my grandma, we use an electric, square Bratzli iron and we sit down together at the table. 

            There is no “right way” to make a Bratzli.  I have tasted many variations to these cookies, since everyone in the family seems to make them slightly different.  Some of the cousins make them super thin, while one of my Aunts make them a little thicker so they won’t fall apart as easily.  My great grandma made them with us often until she passed away a little over a year ago.  She preferred the light colored Bratzlis, while my mom and grandma prefer them golden brown.  I have heard that some of the cousins even cut the Bratzlis with circle cookie cutters as they come off the iron, so they will be perfectly circled.  Personally, I don’t really mind if the Bratzli’s I eat are perfect color, shape or , width.  They all taste delicious!  Though I am only one-eighth Swiss, I still enjoy making Bratzlis, and listening to all the stories from over the years that come out as we cook and eat them!

Recipe

Here is our family bratzli recipe recorded by Carrie Zumstein.

2 ¼ cups sugar

1 ½ cups butter

5 medium eggs

About 5 cups of flour

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. flavoring – either vanilla or lemon

            Mix dough.  Refrigerate for an hour.  Form into balls.