Polish Angel Wings or Chrusciki are delicate crispy little cookies. They are made from an egg yolk dough then rolled out super thin, cut into strips and deep fried. Chrusciki are traditionally made around Lent but we love to eat around Christmas as well.
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I could feel Grammy smiling down on me as I made these Chrusciki. She definitely would have been so proud to see me celebrating our Polish heritage and making these cookies. “There couldn’t be a more perfect way to get a visit from heaven from you, Grammy than to make “Angel Wings“!
What are Chrusciki?
Chrusciki are a popular cookie made in many European countries. They are made from a slightly sweet egg based dough and deep fried to crispy perfection. The best way I could describe their taste is similar to”fried dough” but crispy and flaky. In the United States they are commonly called Angel Wings. In Polish, Chrusciki is derived from the word “Chrust” which means ‘dry branches broken off a tree or brushwood”.
How do you make Polish Angel Wings {Chrusciki}?
There are just a few simple ingredients needed to make Chrusciki and in my opinion they were actually quite easy to make. The most difficult part that I had making them was getting my oil to the perfect temperature. However, that’s only because I did not have a deep fryer/candy thermometer.
Making your dough
The ingredients mix together quite simply and once you have your dough to the right consistency you will just need to knead it out by hand for about 1 minute.
Tips for rolling your dough out
After that you roll your dough out on a nicely floured surface. As you roll your dough out you need to keep adding more flour and lifting and turning your dough to ensure it’s not sticking to your surface.
The key to making the best tasting Chrusciki is to roll your dough out paper thin. If you have a pasta maker this would be the perfect dough to use it for. Using a pasta maker will help you achieve a uniform thinness. Start by setting the pasta maker on medium and then put the dough through a second time on the thinnest setting.
Cutting your dough
Once your dough is rolled out nice and thin cut it into 1- 1 1/2 inch wide strips. They do not need to be perfect or even all the same size. If you have some strips that are really long just cut them in half.
Next cut about a 2 inch slit in the center of each of your strips.
Grasp one end of your dough and push it through the slit.
Gently pull the end through the strip. You may need to lightly shake the dough to let it come through on its own until it looks like twist or bow tie.
Continue with the rest of your strips.
Tips for getting your oil to the correct temperature
The most difficult part about making these Chrusciki for me was the actual cooking part. I strongly recommend using a thermometer made for deep frying or a candy thermometer. That way you can gage the exact temperature of your oil. It’s important to keep your oil temperature around 350-360 Degrees F.
Once your oil is at temperature just drop your cookies into the oil. They will cook for about 10-15 seconds per side. Use two forks to flip them after about 10 seconds then remove them to a cookie sheet lined with paper towels to soak up any excess oil.
Once your Polish Angel Wings have completely cooled place them in a single layer on another cookie sheet and sprinkle with a generous coating of confectioner sugar. Then enjoy!
How do you store Polish Angel Wings {Chrusciki}?
Chrusciki are best the same day they are made. After that you run the risk of them losing there flaky crispy texture. There are few thing that you can do to help with that. First, when you store them do not seal them up too tightly.
Instead, place them on a plate with wax paper separating the layers then cover them with aluminum foil…not plastic wrap.
Hold off on the sugar coating if you are not serving them soon. If they lose their crispiness, place them in a 350 degree oven for 2-3 minutes to crisp them up again. Let them cool and then coat with sugar.
Polish Angel Wings {Chrusciki}
Ingredients
- 3 Large Egg Yolks
- 2 Tablespoons Sugar
- Pinch Salt
- 2 Tablespoons Sour Cream
- 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- Zest from one lemon
- 1 Cup Cake Flour , all purpose flour can be used but cake flour will make your cookies lighter
- Canola Oil for frying , about 8 cups
- Confectioner sugar for coating
Instructions
- Place oil in a large deep pot or deep fryer and heat over medium heat. Use a candy thermometer so you know what your oil temperature is for best results. Heat oil to about 350-360 Degrees F.
- In a medium bowl cream egg yolks,salt and sugar together with a hand mixer on high speed until smooth and pale yellow in color.
- Add sour cream, vanilla, lemon zest and flour and mix on low speed until dough comes together. **You may need to add another tablespoon or two of flour if dough still seems too sticky.
- Place dough on a floured work surface and knead for about one minute.
- Cut dough in half and wrap one half in plastic wrap while you work with the other.
- Roll dough out with a rolling pin on a floured surface. Keep turning the dough as you roll it out and adding more flour to surface as needed. You don't want your dough to stick to the work surface.
- Roll dough out so that it is paper thin.
- Cut dough into strips about 1-1 1/2 inches wide.
- Cut a 2 inch long slit in the center of each strip.
- Push one end of the strip of dough through the slit.
- Pull the end through the other side and shake a bit to let it form a twist or bow tie.
- Continue to make bow ties with the remaining strips. Then work on your next ball of dough.
- Once you have all of your bow ties made check the oil temperature. Start by dropping one cooking in the oil to test it. You should cook cookie for about 10-15 seconds per side. If it's cooking faster than that reduce the temperature and wait for the oil to cool down a bit. Use two forks to turn your cookie over after 10-15 seconds then cook for and additional 10-15 seconds. You want them to be lightly browned.
- Remove cookies to a cookie sheet lined with paper towels.
- Let the cookies cool completely then coat with a generous coating of confectioner sugar.
Notes
Nutrition
Looking for more Polish recipes? Check out my Heritage Series. Here are a few below!
Polish Poppy Seed Roll {Makowiec}
I wanted to thank you so much for posting this recipe for Chrusciki cookies. My most treasured memories of my grandmother were of us making ( and eating ) these when I was young, when we’d go to visit at Christmastime. I always loved her amazing cookies, Galumpkis, Kielbasa and sauerkraut, and other amazing foods. Now, thanks to you, I can share those memories and these wonderful pieces of our heritage with my children. Thank You =)
So glad you found it Susan and that it brought back so many treasured memories!
Thank you for bringing back so many wonderful flavours of Polish cooking. My Mother-in-law was a brilliant cook – I am about to try my hand at these. I love your recipes and presentation.
Thank you Yvonne! So glad these brought you on a trip down memory lane! Hope you enjoyed making them.
We use a square electric skillet for frying. It keeps the temperature of oil constant. Works great!