Lady Locks of Pittsburgh (2024)

I can recall my mother making lady locks for Christmas,wedding, and other celebrations. It was not my favorite cookie but was one thatI would eat from time to time thus enforcing the fond memories of this cookie.What is this cookie and where did it come from?

Lady Locks or clothespin or even cream horn cookies originated from Germany and Austria and was known as a schaumrolle or the rough translation of roam roll. You’ll find versions of this cookie throughout Eastern Europe. German immigrants along with other Eastern Europeans introduced this cookie to Pennsylvania and found a solid home in the Pittsburgh area. It has evolved somewhat in the states and has become a delicate cookie shell with a center cream somewhat like a whipped cream or a marshmallow style cream.

If you visit western Pennsylvania around the holidaysyou’ll encounter this cookie. If you live in the area you’ll either have arecipe or know of someone that makes these cookies and even sells them. If youattend a wedding there you’ll likely see them on a wedding cookie table,another Pittsburgh tradition.

What name is the correct name? This is a littledifficult to say, but the name changed once it arrived in the New World and thenames could mean a different center. Taking a look at names you find somevariability. If you live along the East Coast or even Chicago you may befamiliar with cream horn. In Pennsylvania and parts of Ohio it is known as ladylocks or even lady fingers. To even add more to the mix, clothespin is morecommon in Ohio and is known in Pennsylvania, but cream horn is relativelyunknown. What is the more common name?

I retrieved data from a group site and recorded whatthey call them. This little study is biased towards western Pennsylvania butother regions were covered as well.

By far lady locks are the most commonly used term withclothespins being a close second. Lady fingers and cream horns are not ascommon and there could be a reason why. While lady locks are the more commonterm, clothespins are commonly known as well but just is not the primary name.Growing up I knew what a clothespin cookie was even though we used lady locks. Theclothespin name does come from the use of clothespins in making these cookies.Though you can still use them, and some people do, hollow metal forms are themore common method used to make the shell.

Are these cookies referring to the same cookie? Likelythey are not. Cream horns are known to be cone shaped with a whipped creamfilling thus giving the image of a horn. Lady locks and lady fingers are open endedmuch like a cannoli shell and are not horn-like. Lady fingers, on the otherhand, are known as a dry, sweet sponge biscuits that is shaped like a cookie. Apossible reason why lady locks are called lady fingers is their delicatenature, though I don’t have any evidence proving this.

What makes lady locks unique is the use of Crisco. Itis used in the crust and provides the light, flaky, and delicate pastry shell.Crisco is also used in making the filling. I looked at 9 recipe versions offilling and all had Crisco in them. As for my mother’s recipe, I don’t know ifI have the recipe but my memory hints at it being in there as I remember thecoating and texture. I’ll have to see if I have the recipe to confirm.Marshmallow crème is the next ingredient that you can find in your filling. 2/3of the recipes have the crème in the filling to go along with the Crisco. Thecream horn filling does not have Crisco or the marshmallow crème. The creamhorn recipes I see with Crisco added the poster of the recipe acknowledges it asa lady lock as well.

Lady locks are the same as clothespins but are not the same as lady fingers or cream horns even though these terms are used interchangeably. The naming convention depends upon the region with most of Pennsylvania and Ohio using the term lady lock even though there is a significant number of Ohioans using the term clothespins. Finally, what makes lady locks unique is their use of Crisco; you can’t escape it. Oh, everyone’s version is the best just like my mother’s was. It was an often requested cookie.