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Brazeli cookies from Oscar & Frieda Scharer (Bapa & Nana) Recipe

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Category:
Category:

Ingredients:  
Ingredients:  
Sometimes spelled Brazeli or Bratzeli

This is exactly as shown in Nana’s cookbook page
14 oz butter (salted)
1 lb 2oz sugar
8 eggs
2 1/2 lbs flour
2 lemon rind
1/2 lemon juice

Directions:
Directions:
The following sentence is all the instruction she has listed: Let dough rest for 15 minutes (not longer) after rolling out about 1" thick, (cut about 1/2 thick?) or make little balls (1 Hazelnut size)

Since we have made them through the years, we know how to do it and you need a cookie press (Brazeli iron), to press and cook the dough.

Over the years I’ve changed a little of the original recipe and now use: 3 cups of sugar, which is 6 ounces more than the original recipe, and added two more grated lemon rinds as well as the juice from 2 1/2 lemons for a little more lemon flavor. Nana used to mix everything by hand, so this was a hard cookie dough to mix. We don't roll it out at all, just chill the bowl with the dough and drop by spoonful onto the heated cookie press. They turn out as thin, kind of round cookies with the Swiss flag imprint on them along with a design on the other side.

Preparation Time:
Preparation Time:
Very long!
Personal Notes:
Personal Notes:
I’ve known Brazeli cookies ever since I can remember. They’ve been a family tradition brought over from Switzerland by my Grandparents, Oscar and Frieda Scharer in the early 1900’s, then passed down, to my mother Virginia Davis, then to me. Now I’d like to share the recipe with you. This is a traditional Swiss cookie, and requires a Bratzeli iron to make them.

Oscar came from a family of bakers, who owned a bakery in a small town in Switzerland He wanted nothing to do with the baking business, so he came to America. The recipe followed him, but it was from my Grandmother where we learned how to make them. The hard part is pressing them very thin, and making all the cookies takes a long time since you can only cook 4 at a time in the cookie iron. I remember my Grandfather doing the quality control test... they needed to be thin enough to see the shadow of your finger through it, and be crisp, and light. Every Christmas and special occasion since I was growing up, and many holidays since then, I’ve tried to keep up the tradition.  For me, these cookies instantly bring up great memories, laughter and eating of the scraps from the cookie iron press.

At first glance the Swiss Brazeli may look similar to an Italian Pizzelle. It’s my understanding the big difference between a Swiss Brazeli and an Italian Pizzelle is that a Pizzelle is made with batter, and a Bratzeli is made using dough.

To cook the Brazeli you must use a cookie press. You can use a cast iron press over the burner similar to an old fashioned hot sandwich maker, but with a flat surface on both the inside parts. The more modern way is an electrical waffle style press where you put small Brazeli balls on the decorated flat iron of the press, then press it closed and squeeze them thin. (Note, a waffle or regular sandwich press will not work!). Once cooked, you’ll have a delicious, lemon flavored, very thin delicate biscuit that can be somewhat addictive. I think of my Aunt Ruth and thank her every time I make Brazeli‘s. Many years ago she surprised me with an electric Brazeli iron. If you make these, have fun and enjoy.













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