Wisconsin Family Treasures Swiss Cookie Tradition

2022 - Volume #46, Issue #4, Page #21

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When the Meinen family gathers after Thanksgiving to make cookies, it’s about heritage and keeping a Swiss tradition alive. They make bratzeli cookies using molds that came to this country with immigrants in 1910.
Mike Meinen has two molds that represent the two Swiss regions his grandparents came from with eight imprints on each to create four cookies with designs on both sides. The symbols include a white stork with babies on its back, a lion monument honoring Swiss troops, the Swiss Cross that’s on the national flag, and Wilhelm Tell who symbolizes the struggle for freedom.
The molds are at least 140 years old, says Meinen, who spends most of the Thanksgiving weekend making cookies in his garden shed.
“By the time you’re done there’s a good layer of butter on everything,” he says with a laugh, adding that it’s also a smoky process.
The method is similar to making waffles, pressing a ball of dough between the cast-iron molds, heating it over a propane fire on one side and then turning it over to finish the other side. Meinen prefers to use the mold that is made of thinner cast iron for faster production, but he has to be careful that the cookies don’t burn.
“My dog and I usually split the first ones,” he says. “When the iron’s hot, it takes about 45 minutes to make a batch of 12 dozen cookies.”
The Meinens follow the recipe handed down to them: 3 C. sugar, 9 eggs, 3 C. melted butter and 12 C. flour. With no leavening ingredient, it’s a firm pressed cookie similar to shortbread.
Like hardtack, he says they get better with age. “They taste the best at the end of February, probably because you know they are the last ones,” he says.
They last that long because Meinen makes as many as 4,000 of them for gifts and the family. Nephews and family members bring the ingredients to make the dough.
Meinen admits that the best part of the tradition is bringing family together, and he’d like to continue the legacy.
“I wish I could get some irons made to spread around to the family. They could look back and say, ‘Uncle Mike gave us this iron’,” he says, adding he is interested in hearing from people who do sand pours and have a foundry or who have bratzeli irons.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Mike Meinen, Oshkosh, Wis. (gruntindog@gmail.com).

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Wisconsin Family Treasures Swiss Cookie Tradition FARM HOME Food When the Meinen family gathers after Thanksgiving to make cookies it’s about heritage and keeping a Swiss tradition alive They make bratzeli cookies using molds that came to this country with immigrants in 1910 Mike Meinen has two molds that represent the two Swiss regions his grandparents came from with eight imprints on each to create four cookies with designs on both sides The symbols include a white stork with babies on its back a lion monument honoring Swiss troops the Swiss Cross that’s on the national flag and Wilhelm Tell who symbolizes the struggle for freedom The molds are at least 140 years old says Meinen who spends most of the Thanksgiving weekend making cookies in his garden shed “By the time you’re done there’s a good layer of butter on everything ” he says with a laugh adding that it’s also a smoky process The method is similar to making waffles pressing a ball of dough between the cast-iron molds heating it over a propane fire on one side and then turning it over to finish the other side Meinen prefers to use the mold that is made of thinner cast iron for faster production but he has to be careful that the cookies don’t burn “My dog and I usually split the first ones ” he says “When the iron’s hot it takes about 45 minutes to make a batch of 12 dozen cookies ” The Meinens follow the recipe handed down to them: 3 C sugar 9 eggs 3 C melted butter and 12 C flour With no leavening ingredient it’s a firm pressed cookie similar to shortbread Like hardtack he says they get better with age “They taste the best at the end of February probably because you know they are the last ones ” he says They last that long because Meinen makes as many as 4 000 of them for gifts and the family Nephews and family members bring the ingredients to make the dough Meinen admits that the best part of the tradition is bringing family together and he’d like to continue the legacy “I wish I could get some irons made to spread around to the family They could look back and say ‘Uncle Mike gave us this iron’ ” he says adding he is interested in hearing from people who do sand pours and have a foundry or who have bratzeli irons Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Mike Meinen Oshkosh Wis gruntindog@gmail com

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