Would you like a cookie? I just made them, try one. The challenge was you could never eat “just one.”  On any visit to our Grandma Trudy’s house you were offered her famous “spritz” cookies. Open her cabinet and she always had a tin can of  freshly made yummy cookies. It was something  we took for granted and were accustomed to having them not only after a holiday meal or special occasion. Any ordinary day of the week a visit to her house they were ready and waiting. These delectable treats were not only famous to our immediate family. Family friends, relatives all knew about Trudy’s cookies. If you were privileged to have tasted them you know what I am talking about. Grandma Trudy passed away 6 years ago. There were so many things I missed without my Grandma’s presence in my life and I would talk about it regularly as I grieved.  About 3 years ago, one day, out of nowhere my mother said “It is time to make Trudy’s cookies”. She decided it was time to pull out the famous press required to make them and bring back the smell, taste and memories of our beloved Trudy through her cookies. As she pulled it out and dusted it off I felt thankful we could bring back our Grandmother with her recipe passed down to my Mom. We were ready to welcome her memory back in our lives through the joy she delivered with her cookies.

These cookies date back to my Grandmother’s childhood in Germany. My grandmother grew up in Wurzburg, Germany. Her childhood was stolen from her due to the persecution from Nazis and the Hitler regime on Jewish families. She was fortunate to make it to America with the help of family, all their possessions were taken away by the Nazis and that was one of the conditions that allowed them to leave.

Fast forward as a young married woman, Trudy was able to purchase a cookie press in the U.S that was made in Germany. That allowed her to begin to bake the beloved cookies of her homeland. She made thousands of cookies over the years and she got great joy in sharing them.

This story led me to the creation of Recipe and Roots. I believe there are many recipes with their own individual stories behind them. It is important to preserve these stories for future generations and to remember the people who bring us a simple joy and love along with their creations.

I welcome your stories and in the coming posts I will be adding more of my love for cooking!

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Trudy’s Spritz Cookies

Serves 20 Cookies

Ingredients

• 1/4 pound of butter (softened) unsalted
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg (whole)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups flour (must be able to work dough with hands)
• 1 tsp baking powder

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease your baking sheet
2. If using a cookie press, assemble so it is ready to go.
3. Mix ingredients together as listed above with a standing mixer. If you do not have a mixer, can be mixed by hand.
4. Once all ingredients are mixed together, if using a cookie press begin to place dough in cookie press. (This recipe can also be made without a cookie press. If omitting the cookie press, follow the same directions but once ingredients are mixed together, you must roll out the dough. Once dough is rolled out proceed by selecting your cookie cutters and cookies with cookie cutters of your choice.)
5. Place the cookies on a baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes at 375 degrees.

To replicate this cookie in its entirety, below are some cookie press’s that allow you to recreate a similar shape to Trudy’s Spritz cookie!

Cookie Press – Bed Bath & Beyond

Cookie Press – Sur La Table

Cookie Press – Crate & Barrel