Indulge in the crispy, delicate goodness of chrusciki, a traditional Polish pastry that delights the senses with its feathery texture and sweet, addictive flavor. Also known as angel wings due to their ethereal appearance, chrusciki are a staple treat during festive occasions like Christmas and Easter, adding a touch of magic to celebrations. This versatile pastry can be enjoyed on its own as a delightful snack or dressed up with powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar, or fruit preserves for an extra burst of flavor. With variations ranging from traditional to modern, sweet to savory, the world of chrusciki is an adventure waiting to be explored. Embark on a culinary journey and discover the secrets of crafting this iconic pastry with our collection of meticulously curated recipes. From classic chrusciki to innovative takes infused with unique flavors, we've got you covered. Get ready to impress your loved ones with this Polish treasure that's sure to leave a lasting impression.
Here are our top 5 tried and tested recipes!
CHRUSCIKI WITH MRS. KOSTYRA
These crisp, sugar-dusted Polish cookies made with twists of dough quickly fried in hot oil are also known as angels' wings or bow ties. Martha likes to stack a tower of chrusciki on a pressed-glass cake stand, largest chrusciki first, to make a Christmas-tree formation.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Dessert & Treats Recipes Cookie Recipes
Yield Makes about 6 dozen cookies
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- Put melted butter, eggs, egg yolks, granulated sugar, sour cream, salt, extracts, vinegar, and rum in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until mixture is pale, about 3 minutes. With mixer running, add zests. Reduce speed to low, and gradually add up to 3 cups flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until a fairly stiff dough forms.
- Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface, and knead, dusting with flour if it seems sticky, until dough becomes smooth, soft, and elastic, about 10 minutes. Halve dough, and wrap each piece in plastic wrap. Let dough rest at room temperature, 30 minutes.
- Working with 1 piece at a time, roll out dough on a lightly floured surface until very thin (about 1/16 inch thick). Using a straightedge as a guide, cut the dough into 5-by-1 1/4-inch strips. Trim ends on the diagonal.
- Lay dough strips vertically in front of you, and cut a 1 1/4-inch-long opening through the middle of each strip. Working with one strip at a time, push one end through the cut, then pull through to make a bow-tie shape. Transfer formed chrusciki to a large parchment-lined baking sheet, and cover with a clean, slightly damp kitchen towel. Repeat process with remaining dough.
- Heat shortening in a large (6-quart) pot over medium-high heat until it registers 375 degrees on a deep-fry thermometer.
- Working in small batches of about 7, fry chrusciki, turning once with a slotted spoon, until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Transfer fried chrusciki with slotted spoon to two paper-towel-lined baking sheets to drain. (Adjust heat between batches as necessary to keep oil at a steady temperature.)
- Just before serving, dust chrusciki with confectioners' sugar.
CHRUSCIKI I
This is the Polish version of angel wings.
Provided by Sue Peters
Categories World Cuisine Recipes European Eastern European Polish
Time 1h30m
Yield 40
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- In a medium bowl, whisk egg yolks, egg, sugar, salt, vanilla, and whiskey. Stir in 2 cups of the flour. If dough is sticky, add the rest of the flour. Knead dough for 5 minutes; divide into three parts. Keep dough pieces covered with plastic wrap until ready to use.
- Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Or, alternately, melt 2 pounds lard(see Editor's Note). Oil should be about 1 inch deep.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out one piece of the dough until it's paper-thin. Cut into parallelogram (long diamond) shapes, and use a sharp paring knife to cut a slot in the centers. Pull one point of the diamond through the slot; set aside and repeat with remaining pieces.
- Fry 2 to 4 pieces at a time, depending on the size of your pan, about 5 to 10 seconds on each side. The cookies should not be browned. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels; dust with confectioners' sugar when cool. Store any remaining cookies in an airtight container.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 255.8 calories, Carbohydrate 9.8 g, Cholesterol 66.1 mg, Fat 23.5 g, Fiber 0.2 g, Protein 1.8 g, SaturatedFat 3.4 g, Sodium 62.5 mg, Sugar 3.6 g
POLISH CHRUSCIKI (ANGEL WINGS)
My Polish mother, Zosia, taught me to make these delicate Christmas cookies. She called them chrustki but others call them chrusciki, faworki, or angel wings. They're very delicate and crumble easily so don't wear your fancy black sweater! - Jenny Jones
Time 45m
Yield 36 - 40
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- In a small bowl using an electric hand mixer on high, beat egg yolks, sugar and salt until thick and lemon colored - about a minute.
- On low speed, stir in sour cream, vanilla, zests & flour.
- Stir in enough additional flour to form a mass (1-2 tablespoons)
- Transfer to a floured surface and knead 50 turns (about 2 minutes), adding extra flour as needed.
- Divide dough in half, keeping extra covered with plastic.
- On a floured surface, roll each section paper-thin to at least 12" across. Cut into 1 1/4-inch strips. Cut strips into 5-inch lengths. Make a slit in each strip. Pull one end through slit to make a bow tie.
- Deep fry in oil at about 350-365° F for about 30 seconds, turning once using 2 forks, until lightly golden on both sides. Do not crowd.
- Drain on paper towels. Let cool an sprinkle with powdered sugar.
- To re-crisp place on baking sheet in a 325° oven for about 5 minutes. Cool completely and re-dust with fresh powdered sugar.
FAWORKI (POLISH CHRUSCIKI)
Traditional Polish crispy pastry twists made for Carnival time. They are deep-fried and sprinkled with confectioners' sugar. Light and delicious!
Provided by jacekf
Categories World Cuisine Recipes European Eastern European Polish
Time 22m
Yield 20
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Combine flour, egg yolks, sour cream, sugar, butter, rum, and salt in a large bowl; mix to form a dough.
- Knead dough lightly and roll out on a floured surface. Cut into strips 4 inches long and 3/4 inches wide. Cut a slit in the middle of each strip. Twist and pull one end through the slit.
- Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan. Test the temperature by dropping in a pastry twist; the oil is ready when it browns and float to the surface.
- Fry pastry twists in batches until golden brown, about 1 minute per side. Drain on a plate lined with paper towels. Dust with confectioners' sugar.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 125.5 calories, Carbohydrate 16.6 g, Cholesterol 65.5 mg, Fat 5.3 g, Fiber 0.4 g, Protein 2.5 g, SaturatedFat 1.8 g, Sodium 19.8 mg, Sugar 4.4 g
POLISH CHRUSCIKI (CRULLERS OR ANGEL BOWS)
This is a pretty, light, crispy treat. The children love to make these little "bows". Sometimes we make these for breakfast... sometimes for dessert... This recipe came from my Polish mother-in-law. These look really pretty on our holiday sweet table! *** This Main photo is not my photo... got it from the internet,...
Provided by Colleen Sowa
Categories Other Breakfast
Time 1h25m
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- 1. In large bowl: combine whole eggs and the yolks with sugar, salt, nutmeg and vanilla (or if using Triple Sec use Lemon or orange juice instead of vanilla). Beat at high speed about 3-5 minutes. Adding: cream, brandy (or rum or Triple Sec). Add flour. Beat 3-5 minutes longer until a thick dough forms.
- 2. Divide the dough in half, cover with damp clolth or plastic wrap and let rest for about a half an hour.
- 3. Roll the dough to about 1/8-inch thick. I use a pizza cutter to cut the dough into strips that are about 2-inches wide and to cut each strip diagonally( / ) 3-4-inches apart. (Cover the dough with a damp towel or plastic wrap to keep from drying out as you are frying and sifting with powdered sugar).
- 4. Heat 4 -6 inches of oil in large, deep pan for frying to 350 degrees (I use a thermometer). Make a slit in the center of each strip of dough, and pull one end of the dough strip through the slit you cut, in order to form a bow to make them traditional (I sometimes just cut them into strips or triangles and then fry them this way.. they taste just as good!).
- 5. Fry 5 - 8 strips at a time for 30 seconds to 1 minute on each side or until golden brown. Keep a close watch as they cook quickly. Drain on paper towel lined platter. Dust quickly with powdered sugar by sifting the powdered sugar over cookies. ***Some people drizzle the chrusciki with a little maple syrup or honey. *** These cookies are meant to be eaten right away as they are better freshly made, they do not store well, you may try to store in an airtight container. Within the next few days the cookies can be baked in a 350-degree oven for 3-5 minutes to crisp them up again. Then dust them again with powdered sugar to "refresh" them. But they are usually made and served right away... and around our house there aren't any leftovers to store! LOL
- 6. *** Sometimes we add cinnamon to our powdered sugar before sprinkling the cookies! *** Some people don't cut the slit and pull the end through.... they just loosely make a knot just like when you start to tie your shoes. No matter how you cut them, slit them or not slit them, tie them or not... they are a fast - easy treat!
Tips & Conclusion
Following are tips and conclusion gathered from all the recipes in the article:
- Chilling the dough before rolling and frying: Chilling the dough firms it up, making it easier to handle and less likely to stick to the rolling pin. It also helps the dough rise more evenly when fried.
- Using a light touch when rolling the dough: Roll the dough out as thinly as possible without tearing it. This will help the dough cook evenly and become crispy.
- Frying the dough in hot oil: The oil should be hot enough to immediately start frying the dough when it is added to the pan. This will help prevent the dough from absorbing too much oil.
- Draining the dough on paper towels: This will help remove any excess oil from the dough and make it crispy.
- Sprinkling the dough with powdered sugar: This is a traditional way to serve chrusciki. The powdered sugar adds a sweet and delicate flavor to the dough.
Chrusciki is a delicious and versatile pastry that can be enjoyed in many different ways. These tips will help you make the perfect chrusciki every time.
Chrusciki is a delicious and popular Polish pastry that is perfect for any occasion. It is a traditional Polish Christmas cookie, but it can also be enjoyed year-round. Chrusciki is made from a simple dough that is rolled out and then cut into strips. The strips are then fried and sprinkled with powdered sugar. The result is a crispy, flaky pastry that is both sweet and savory.
Chrusciki is a relatively easy pastry to make, but there are a few things you need to keep in mind to ensure success. First, the dough needs to be chilled before it is rolled out. This will help to prevent the dough from sticking to the rolling pin. Second, the oil needs to be hot enough when you fry the dough. This will help to prevent the dough from absorbing too much oil. Finally, the dough needs to be drained on paper towels after it is fried. This will help to remove any excess oil and make the dough crispy.
If you follow these tips, you will be sure to make perfect chrusciki every time.
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