Polish Chrusciki Angel Wings are delicious treats traditionally enjoyed on Polish Fat Thursday (the last Thursday before Lent), as well as at family celebrations, Easter, Christmas, birthdays, and weddings. These crispy, light, melt-in-your-mouth pastries, also called Faworki, Chrust or Krusciki, are made with rolled dough that is formed into bow-tie shapes, gently deep-fried to golden perfection, and sprinkled with a generous dose of powdered sugar. Their irresistible crunch and delicate sweetness make them a treat worth sharing with family and friends!
Enjoy these Polish Chruściki Angel Wings cookies with a cup of tea or black coffee! You can also serve them alongside my favorite Lemon Crinkle Cookies or Kolaczki Polish Cookies.
My family, including myself, absolutely loves these sweet and crunchy pastry ribbons, and they never last long in my home (the cookies, that is). These Chrusciki Angel Wings cookies look and taste amazing, and they’re surprisingly simple to make with just a few steps and a little technique.
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POLISH CHRUSCIKI ANGEL WINGS COOKIES
One of my happiest childhood memories was helping my mom make these delicious Chruściki cookies in our cozy, warm kitchen. I would help by shaping them into twisted ribbons and using a fine-mesh sieve to dust them with powdered sugar once they were fried and cooled. We made so many that it would take us the entire afternoon, and I used to binge on them like there was no tomorrow, with powdered sugar all over my clothes. Great memory!
So, if you’re looking for a new cookie recipe to try, these beautiful Chrusciki cookies are a must—once you start eating them, it’s impossible to stop! They’re so yummy. Give these Polish cookies a chance, and they just might become a firm family favorite!
Smacznego!
THE STORY BEHIND CHRUSCIKI / FAWORKI TRADITION
The tradition of baking chrusciki/faworki on Fat Thursday has a long history in Poland. Some sources suggest the name comes from a bakery in Poznan called Faro, which has been around for over a hundred years. According to this story, faworki were created by accident when a young, novice baker dropped a strip of donut dough into hot oil. Another theory is that faworki originated in France, with their name coming from the French word “favour,” meaning “ribbon.” Historians often trace the roots of faworki to Germany or Lithuania. Regardless of which theory is true, one thing is certain: faworki have been a beloved tradition in Poland, especially along the River Wisla (the Vistula River).
POLISH CHRUSCIKI ANGEL WINGS – PASTRY
Perfect Chruściki should be very thin, crispy, tender, and, once fried, generously dusted with powdered sugar—they should appear almost white. They’re simple enough for an everyday sweet treat and also fancy enough to make for a special occasion since they’re made in cute, elegant bow shapes. Traditionally, this pastry is fried in lard, like many Polish recipes. However, you can use other oils for frying; there will be a slight difference in flavor.
For complete ingredient quantities and full instructions, please scroll to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.
INGREDIENTS FOR POLISH CHRUSCIKI
- Egg yolks—Egg yolks from large eggs, and no need to waste the whites—make a delicious Pavlova with them.
- Flour – You can use all-purpose flour for this recipe.
- Sour cream – Sour cream helps make the dough smooth and pliable.
- Vodka – Keep the dough from absorbing the oil while frying. If you don’t want to add alcohol, you can add white vinegar.
- Salt
- Frying oil – You can use lard, vegetable oil, or other high-heat oil for frying.
- Powdered sugar – Fried Chruściki are best when generously dusted with powdered sugar, which you can easily make at home by grinding granulated sugar in a coffee or spice grinder.
Keep the dough covered when not in use, as it dries out quickly. Chruściki are best made with a team of two—one person to cut and shape the dough and the other to fry.
HOW TO MAKE CHRUSCIKI DOUGH
The first step is to prepare the chruściki cookie dough, then roll it very thin, cut it into strips, shape them into unique ‘bow ties,’ and deep-fry. There’s quite a bit of resting time in between and some “dough biting,” but that’s a test of patience and strength. Otherwise, making the chruściki cookies is really as simple as that. This dough can be made by hand or using a stand mixer.
TO MAKE THIS DOUGH BY HAND:
- Sift the flour on a clean work surface and make a well in the center. Add the egg yolks, sour cream, vodka, and salt. Using your fingertips or a fork, gradually mix the wet ingredients, slowly incorporating the flour to form a dough. Knead the dough until it becomes smooth.
TO MAKE THIS DOUGH WITH A STAND MIXER:
- Add the sifted flour to the bowl of a stand mixer, then add the egg yolks, sour cream, vodka, and salt. Using the dough hook, mix on low speed for 5–8 minutes, until the ingredients are fully incorporated and a very smooth dough forms. Transfer the dough to a work surface and knead it for about a minute until smooth.
TIPS & TRICKS
- Rolling the Dough. The secret to the light, airy texture of chruściki is rolling the dough thin. This allows each piece to cook quickly and puff up beautifully when fried. You can roll the dough with a wooden rolling pin, or if you have a pasta rolling machine, you can use that instead for making Chrusciki Angel Wings cookies.
- Test the oil. You can test the oil by putting in a small scrap of dough; it should sink to the bottom and then immediately float to the top. When this happens, your oil is ready.
- Fry cookies in batches. Don’t add too many at once, or the temperature of the oil will drop too much, and the cookies will soak up too much oil. The oil temperature should always remain between 175°F and 180°F. It’s best to check with a candy or deep-fry thermometer.
- Finishing Touch: Powdered Sugar and Serving. After frying, transfer the chruściki to a plate or wire rack lined with paper towels. Each batch should be in a single layer. Once all the chruściki have been fried, transfer them again to a plate with fresh paper towels. Then, sprinkle with powdered sugar. For this final step, you can stack them.
HOW TO STORE POLISH CHRUSCIKI ANGEL WINGS
Chruściki are best enjoyed fresh and warm, right after being dusted with powdered sugar. Once cooled and dusted with powdered sugar, they can be stored for a few days at room temperature in a container loosely covered with plastic wrap—allowing a bit of air in to keep them crisp. To preserve their crunch, ensure they are kept away from moisture. When serving, you might want to give them another light dusting of powdered sugar to refresh their beautiful appearance.
VARIATIONS
While this recipe is delicious as is, you can easily customize it to suit your taste. Try adding 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, ground cardamom, lemon or orange zest to the dough for extra flavor. For a sweeter touch, mix 1 teaspoon of sugar into the dough.
MORE POLISH FAVORITES FOR YOU
- Potato and Cheese Pierogi
- Lazy Polish Pierogi
- Polish Cabbage Rolls Recipe
- Polish Dumplings Mushrooms Uszka
- Zucchini Carrot Fritters
- Polish Easter Babka
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Happy Cooking! -A
*Nutritional information is automatically generated and should be considered as an estimate.
POLISH CHRUSCIKI ANGEL WINGS
Equipment
- Rolling Pin
- Ravioli cutter or Pizza cutter
- Oil or Candy thermometer
Ingredients
- 6 egg yolks, from large eggs room temperature
- 300 g all-purpose flour plus 1/4 cup more to dust and knead
- 3 tablespoons sour cream 18% (heaping 3 tablespoons)
- 2 tablespoons vodka rum or whiskey
- pinch of salt
To Fry:
- vegetable oil lard or other high-heat oil for frying
To Decorate:
- powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Make the Chrusciki Dough: Sift the flour into a stand mixer bowl, then add the egg yolks, sour cream, vodka, and salt. Using the dough hook, mix everything on low speed for 7-8 minutes until the ingredients are fully incorporated and a very smooth dough forms. Transfer the dough to your work surface and knead it for a minute until smooth.
- Beat the Dough: Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough slightly, then fold it in half and roll it out. Repeat this process at least 4 times (the more you do, the better). While rolling it out, beat the dough with the rolling pin. If you beat well, you will get more air bubbles, and your chrusciki will be lighter and better.
- Let it rest: Divide the dough into 3 pieces, wrap the dough in plastic wrap, and let it rest at room temperature for 15 minutes.
- Roll the Dough: Work with one piece at a time, keeping the others covered to prevent them from drying out. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a long rectangle using a rolling pin. Roll it very thin—about 1/8 inch or less. The thinner, the better. The dough may be tough to roll out.
- Cut and Shape the Chrusciki: Using a ravioli cutter or pizza cutter, cut the dough into strips 1 inch wide. Then, cut each strip into 4-inch lengths, either parallel to the previous cuts or at an angle (they should be longer than wider and shouldn't be bigger than a pot you are frying them in). Make a 1-inch slit lengthwise in the center of each piece. Gently lift each piece and tuck one end through the slit by folding it over the top and pulling it through to create an angel wing shape. Repeat until all of the dough is used. Cover the shaped chrusciki with a kitchen towel to prevent them from drying out.
- Fry the Chrusciki Cookies: Add 2 inches of oil to a large saucepan (use enough oil that the chrusciki can float freely). Set it over medium heat and heat to 175°F to 180°F. Use a candy thermometer to maintain the oil temperature within this range while frying.
- Fry the chrusciki cookies in small batches. Add 4-5 cookies to the hot oil (or less depending on the diameter of the frypan), placing them in one at a time—they will float to the top. They cook fast, about 30 seconds to cook on each side if you have the oil hot enough. Use two forks or wooden skewers to flip the cookies once. Chrusciki should be light golden in color. If they are brown, they are burnt.
- When cooked on both sides, remove them from the oil using tongs. Repeat with the remaining chrusciki cookies.They will brown more once removed. If chrusciki take too long to cook, it means that the oil is not hot enough, and they will absorb too much oil, resulting in heavy chrusciki. Yield about 60 cookies (depending on the size you cut them).
- Dust with Powdered Sugar: Transfer the chrusciki cookies to a paper towel-lined plate to absorb extra oil. Once they are cool enough to handle, arrange them on a platter and dust generously with powdered sugar. These chrusciki cookies are best enjoyed fresh. Enjoy!