Holiday Chrusciki (Polish Angel Wings Cookies)
Note: Eggs and Butter at room temperature before starting Helpful supplies: deep fryer or multiple frying pans, sharp knife or rolling dough cutter, paper towels or newspaper, wire racks for draining, strainer or dusting cup for sugar, stackable storage/boxes for gifting, time or extra hands to get it all done–great family/assembly line cooking project!
Small Batch (yeah, right!) Makes approx. six dozen 2 Eggs (room temperature) 4 Yolks ½ tsp Salt 2C Flour ½C Confectioners (10x) Sugar ¼C Softened Butter 1 shot (1.5 ozs.) Brandy, Rum, or Whiskey (Note: Rum preferred)
Vegetable Shortening or Oil for frying Confectioners Sugar for dusting (messy!)
Larger Batch (and THIS you may do more than once) Many Dozens (have storage!) 12 Egg Yolks 1½ pt Sour Cream 5 Tbsp Confectioners Sugar ½ lb Sweet Butter, softened 4 to 6 shots Whiskey (alternate: Rum) 6 to 7 C Flour
Whisk/blend eggs, yolks, [sour cream], and salt until thick and lemony; slowly beat/add powdered sugar, then add [alcohol of choice]. Use dough hook, slowly add flour. Knead for three to five minutes. Dough will be thick, like bread dough.
Work into small balls (baseball), hold in bowl with damp towel or in plastic bag so dough does not dry out. With dusted surface and rolling pin, roll dough balls into flat circles, very thin. Cut into strips, then into parallelograms, so pieces are approximately 1½” by 3”. Cut slit into center of shape and twist one end through middle to form cookies. [Notes: Best to form and prepare in advance of frying. Thinner dough makes more delicate cookies. Use wax paper to separate layers of formed dough. Knock off excess flour that will settle and burn while frying.]
Fry in small batches on manageable high heat, turning once to cook evenly to golden color. Drain/cool on wire rack then place on paper towel/newspaper. Dust well with powdered sugar. Store up to a week with an airtight cover. [Note: large gift boxes lined with aluminum foil work well, too, and they rarely last a week.]
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