William Woys Weaver

Sweet Pretzels

1914

Preparation info
  • Yield: Approximately

    5 Dozen

    Small Pretzels.
    • Difficulty

      Medium

Appears in
The Christmas Cook: Three Centuries of American Yuletide Sweets
The Christmas Cook

By William Woys Weaver

Published 1990

  • About

Pretzels are historically one of the oldest decorations for the Christmas tree. Sweet or Sugar Pretzels are particularly attractive because of their snowy appearance when tucked into the evergreens. They can be seen around the base of the apple pyramid.

Ingredients

  • ½ pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter
  • 1 cup sugar

Method

Cream the butter and sugar. Beat the egg to a froth then combine with the sugar mixture. Add the extract. Gradually sift in the flour; if the dough becomes too dry, moisten it with the rosewater. However, the dough should be relatively stiff. Form into a ball, cover, and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat the oven to