Old-Fashioned Lady Locks (Clothespin Cookies) — From Scratch with All-Butter Dough

Every Christmas, there are a few cookies that instantly take us back to childhood—the ones you remember watching your mom or grandmother make in the kitchen while Christmas music played softly in the background. For so many of us, Lady Locks (also called Clothespin Cookies, Cream Horn Cookies, or even Unicorn Horns) are that cookie.

These delicate, flaky pastries filled with sweet, silky cream are the crown jewel of holiday cookie trays—especially in Pittsburgh, Ohio, western Pennsylvania, and so many old-fashioned American kitchens. I always say: you can spot a truly great cook by their Lady Locks.

And while many modern recipes shortcut the process with puff pastry or canned dough, there is nothing like the real, all-butter, from-scratch version. The dough is tender and flaky in a way you just can’t buy in a store. The filling—an old-fashioned Ermine frosting—is light, silky, and not overly sweet. Together, they make a cookie worthy of Christmas Eve.

What makes this recipe extra special is the tradition behind it: using metal or wooden clothespin molds, rolling thin dough by hand, baking hundreds at a time, and filling them with care. It’s the kind of cookie you make with love—and the kind people remember.

Let’s bring back the real ones… just like your grandma made.

---

2. Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Authentic from-scratch dough — all butter, perfectly flaky

• Old-fashioned Ermine icing — silky, not too sweet

• Holiday tradition — a true Pittsburgh cookie table classic

• Perfect texture — light layers that melt in your mouth

• Beautiful presentation — they look like little pastries

• Make-ahead friendly — freeze wonderfully

• Hundreds at a time — ideal for Christmas trays

If you love nostalgic baking, you’ll also enjoy the buttery simplicity of my Scottish Shortbread or the delicate crumb of my Polish Kolaczki Cookies which also make stunning holiday trays.

---

3. Ingredients Section

⭐ Dough

• 180 grams all-purpose flour (divided)

• 226 grams butter, divided

• ½ teaspoon salt

• 1 tablespoon sugar

• 60 grams ice water (¼ cup)

• 1 large egg

⭐ To Finish

• 1 egg white

• 1 tablespoon water

⭐ Filling (Ermine Frosting)

• 150 grams sugar

• 20 grams flour

• 150 grams whole milk

• 37 grams cream

• 170 grams unsalted butter (cut into small pieces, cool but soft)

• ¾ teaspoon vanilla

• Optional: ¼ teaspoon salt (your addition — excellent choice!)

---

4. Step-by-Step Instructions

---

⭐ Step 1 — Grate the Butter

Grate 113 grams of butter on the large holes of a box grater, then place the grated butter in the freezer. Cut the remaining butter into cubes.

---

⭐ Step 2 — Make the Dough Base

Place 100 grams flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor. Pulse.
Add cubed butter and process until the mixture forms a paste.

Break paste into chunks. Add remaining flour. Pulse until pieces are the size of peas.

Transfer to a mixing bowl.

Add the frozen grated butter and toss with flour.

---

⭐ Step 3 — Add the Liquid Ingredients

Combine water + egg.
Sprinkle over flour mixture. Toss with a rubber spatula until moistened.

Dough will look shaggy — perfect.

Press into a block. Wrap in plastic. Refrigerate 2 hours or up to 2 days.

---

⭐ Step 4 — Roll and Fold (the secret to flaky layers)

Let dough rest 10 minutes at room temp.

On a well-floured surface, roll dough into a long rectangle.
Do a book fold (fold ends inward like closing a book).
Turn 90° and repeat 5 more times.

Your dough will become smoother, silkier, and easier to roll each time.

---

⭐ Step 5 — Roll Thin and Cut Strips

Roll dough into a 15 × 18 inch rectangle.
Cut into 6-inch strips about ¾-inch wide.

---

⭐ Step 6 — Wrap the Molds

Use metal or wooden clothespin molds.
Brush strips lightly with egg wash.
Wrap tightly around each mold, slightly overlapping as you wind.

---

⭐ Step 7 — Bake

Place seam-side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment.

Bake at 375°F for 9 minutes, until very pale golden.

Cool on wire racks, then gently remove molds.

---

Make the Ermine Filling

⭐ Step 8 — Cook the Base

Combine sugar + flour in saucepan.
Add milk and cream.
Cook over medium heat, whisking until thickened (10–15 minutes).
Cool to 80°F — this part matters for texture.

---

⭐ Step 9 — Beat in Butter

Add cooled mixture to stand mixer. Beat until smooth.
Then add butter a little at a time.
Beat until light and fluffy.
Add vanilla + salt.

---

⭐ Step 10 — Fill the Lady Locks

Pipe Ermine frosting into each cooled shell.

---

5. Expert Tips & Troubleshooting

⭐ Preventing Dough Shrinkage

Keep dough cold while working. Warm dough shrinks.

⭐ Perfect Flaky Layers

Your folding technique + grated frozen butter = magic.

⭐ Mold Sticking Issues

Lightly grease molds or dust with flour if needed.

⭐ Overbrowning

These cookies should be very pale.
Check at 8 minutes.

⭐ Cream Too Soft

Chill the filled cookies for 10–15 minutes to set frosting.

---

6. Variations & Add-Ins

• Dip ends in chocolate

• Add sprinkles for “Unicorn Horns”

• Flavor the cream: almond, lemon, chocolate, or raspberry

• Use different shapes: cones, mini horns, or “lady locks bites”

• Holiday twist: roll strips in coarse sugar before baking

---

7. Serving Suggestions

These are perfect on:

• Christmas Eve trays

• Pittsburgh “Cookie Tables”

• Weddings

• Showstopper dessert boards

• Cookie exchanges

This delicate cookie pairs beautifully with simple classics like shortbread, kolaczki, or soft sugar cookies for contrast.

---

8. Storage & Freezing Instructions

⭐ Before Filling

Store shells in airtight container for 2 weeks or freeze for 3 months.

⭐ After Filling

Refrigerate up to 5 days.
Freeze up to 1 month (best quality if eaten sooner).

⭐ Make Ahead

You can make:
✔ dough 2 days ahead
✔ shells 2 weeks ahead
✔ filling day of or day before

---

9. FAQs (Google Style)

Q: Can I use puff pastry instead?
Yes, but you’ll miss the authentic flaky texture of homemade lady locks.

Q: Why is my dough cracking?
It’s too cold—let rest 5 minutes before rolling.

Q: Why is my filling grainy?
The flour/milk base wasn’t cooled enough before adding butter.

Q: Can I double or triple this?
Absolutely — perfect for Christmas baking.

Q: Why do my shells collapse?
They were rolled too thin or removed from molds too early.

---

---

⭐ Conclusion 

There’s something so magical about making these old-fashioned Lady Locks from scratch—the rolling, the wrapping, the filling, the tradition. They’re the kind of cookie that turns an ordinary day of Christmas baking into a memory.

If you make these, I’d love to hear how they turned out.
Leave a comment, rate the recipe, and don’t forget to pin this for Christmas!