If there’s one cookie that captures the soul of Swiss heritage in New Glarus, it’s the brätzeli. Thin, crisp, and patterned with intricate floral designs, these delicate treats are more than cookies—they are part of the fabric of local holiday tradition. For generations, families here have spent entire afternoons pressing them in warm kitchens, making piles of them for Christmas platters, church suppers, and family gatherings.

In New Glarus, brätzelis are as much a holiday fixture as the tree or the nativity set. They appear on nearly every table during the holiday season, tucked into tins and repurposed plastic containers for friends and neighbors, or carried into offices to surprise coworkers who’ve never seen anything quite like them. Making them is a rite of passage—helping your mother or grandmother roll the dough into perfect little balls, standing by the hot iron as the kitchen fills with the scent of butter and vanilla, and proudly serving your first batch that actually turned out right.

The tradition stretches back centuries to 18th-century Switzerland, when bakers used heavy cast-iron presses heated over open fires. Each iron bore its own pattern—rosettes, crosses, or geometric flourishes—and families often passed them down through generations. Swiss immigrants brought those irons to America, and in New Glarus, the custom took deep root.