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Chruściki, Chrusty Faworki, Angel Wings

January 15, 2024 by Lois Britton 79 Comments

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Known by many names, meaning ribbons or dried twigs, Chruściki, Chrusty, Faworki, Angel Wings, whatever name they go by, these little powdered sugar treats appear en masse the last week of karnawał, just before Lent.

Trays piled high with Faworki and Pączki fill the supermarkets and little shops for Tłusty czwartek or Fat Thursday. Faworki are also popular at all kinds of family meal celebrations, Easter, Christmas, and weddings. 

Chruściki, Chrusty Faworki, Angel Wings

They are so popular that in areas of the US with large populations from Central Europe; bakeries insist that customers place their Christmas and Easter orders for Faworki in advance.

Like many Polish recipes, the pastry is traditionally fried in lard. You can, of course, use other oils for frying; there will be a slight difference in flavor.

Even though they’re rolled in powdered sugar, the plain, rich dough, is only lightly sweet. While it might not be traditional, I think it benefits from the addition of vanilla, lemon, and/or orange zest; it just adds a bit of brightness.

For Christmas or Easter, Polish Angel Wings, Faworki, Chruściki, Chrusty, many names and delicious! #polish #cookies #easter #christmas #polishhousewife

By all standards, this probably makes a small batch, only 72 Faworki. It all depends on how thinly you roll the dough. You can easily double or triple if you’re feeding a crowd.

The keys to making faworki: keep the dough on the dry and stiff side, knead until you can’t knead anymore (or run the dough once it’s come together through a meat grinder two or three times), and roll the dough as thin as possible. Check out this video to see how the dough looks while I’m making them. 

faworki a Polish fried pastry

 

What do you call them, Chruściki, Chrusty Faworki, Angel Wings?

Smacznego!

Lois

Bezy are a great way to use the leftover egg whites!

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Chruściki, Chrusty Faworki, Angel Wings

Chruściki, Chrusty Faworki, Angel Wings

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.6 from 12 reviews
  • Author: Polish HOusewife
  • Prep Time: 20 mins
  • Cook Time: 25 mins
  • Total Time: 35 mins
  • Yield: 6 dozen
  • Category: Dessert
  • Cuisine: Polish
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Description

Crisp and lightly sweet


Ingredients

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3 eggs yolks
  • 3-5 tablespoons heavy cream (or sour cream)
  • 1 tablespoon spirits (I used Soplica, but any whiskey or rum will do)
  • 1/2 teaspon vanilla (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon citrus zest (optional)
  • lard, for frying
  • powdered sugar, for dusting


Instructions

  1. Combine flour, sugar, and salt
  2. In a seperate bowl, combine the egg yolks, 3 tablespoons cream, spirits, vanilla, and zest if you’re using it
  3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until the dough comes together, use a little more cream if necessary
  4. Roll out as thin as possible; this is the most important step!
  5. Cut into 1 x 4 inch strips, cutting a slit in the middle of each strip
  6. Pull one end through the slit, to create a twisted appearance
  7. Heat lard to 350 F
  8. Fry in batches, turning to cook both sides, until golden brown
  9. Drain on paper towels
  10. Roll in powdered sugar

Notes

If your dough is too dry to come together in one mass, add additional cream or sour cream a tablespoon at a time. All of the flour should be incorporated, but this should still be a dry, stiff dough.

You can freeze the leftover egg whites to save them for a recipe that only uses egg whites.

Did you make this recipe?

Share a photo and tag us — we can't wait to see what you've made!

 

 

Lois Britton

An accountant by trade and a food blogger since 2009, Lois Britton fell in love with Polish cuisine during the years she lived in Poznań, Poland. As the creator of PolishHousewife.com,  she loves connecting readers with traditional Polish recipes. Lois has a graduate certificate in Food Writing and Photography from the University of South Florida. She is the author of The Polish Housewife Cookbook, available on Amazon and on her website.

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Filed Under: Breads, Christmas, Easter, Holidays, Polish Breads, Polish Desserts, Spring, Winter

Previous Post: « New Year’s Eve in Poland
Next Post: Pascha Wielkanocna – Polish Easter Dessert »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. kat

    November 14, 2017 at 9:23 am

    my grandmother’s recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of vodka, she told me the alcohhol cooks off but it makes the Chruściki brown evenly without adding flavor like brandy or whiskey would.

    Reply
  2. Erin

    November 14, 2017 at 5:13 pm

    My Great-Grandmother made these, but we always just called them wine cookies even though she usually added sherry. Unfortunately, all the ladies I would ask about these cookies have passed away and I don’t know the best way to store them. How do you store them and how long will they keep that way? Last time, I stored them in a tupperware container, but they got really soft and weren’t good enough to keep.

    Reply
    • polishhousewife

      November 14, 2017 at 7:47 pm

      We kept these on the counter, just covered with a dish towel for a few days, but to be fair, the air is pretty dry here. I’ve read that some people pop them in the oven for a few minutes to re-crisp them when they get soft.

      Reply
    • Mary Lou

      November 15, 2017 at 8:37 pm

      When I always bought them at a bakery I would just keep them in that box. This way they had air and not sealed tightly. But they also didn’t last long in our house. Never knew they had spirits either, might just have to try this recipe.

      Reply
      • polishhousewife

        November 15, 2017 at 10:31 pm

        That’s the secret, Mary Lou; they shouldn’t last long!

        Reply
    • Marila

      December 7, 2019 at 5:56 am

      Never put them in the plastic containers. I keep them in open container and cover with paper towel in in place, like pantry.Stay good for days.

      Reply
    • Chere

      April 2, 2021 at 8:50 pm

      The best way to store them is in a cookie tin or popcorn tin for a large batch. Separate layers occasionally with wax paper. Don’t cover layers completely though. Best for airflow. Stack lightly. Make sure cookies are completely cooled. You can have them sugared for storage. They will keep quite a while.. if you hide them 😉

      Reply
    • ELIZABETH GEMBALA

      July 14, 2021 at 5:53 pm

      I let them cool and freeze batches without icing. The day of the celebration, I take premade crustchiki out of freezer and place them on an oven sheet to add icing sugar. I only lightly dust, and leave a sifter with icing if someone wants more icing.

      Reply
    • Dottie LaMantia

      August 16, 2021 at 5:57 pm

      You need to store them in metal to keep them crisp, Craft stores sell metal containers with lids which work perfectly.

      Reply
  3. Mary Anne Fout

    February 6, 2018 at 8:45 am

    Is there an alternative to frying them in lard?

    Reply
    • polishhousewife

      February 7, 2018 at 3:28 pm

      You could fry them in any oil, but lard is traditional.

      Reply
    • SUSAN BOGDEN

      November 4, 2019 at 4:42 am

      Crisco is Best….

      Reply
      • Susan Cullen Neves

        December 22, 2021 at 4:33 pm

        My Ciocia Eleanor always made these (with my assistance) The liquor we always used for Four Roses (rye whiskey). No matter how many we made, there were never any leftovers. (As it should be:)

        Reply
        • Kate Mosher

          January 17, 2024 at 1:57 pm

          My grandmother always had a small bottle of Four Roses tucked behind other foods in the cabinet.. On holidays, she would gather the family members helping prepare and serve the food (all women) into the kitchen, close the door, and pour one shot for each. The first time I was included Is a very special memory for me.

          Reply
      • Nina Leontiev

        December 9, 2022 at 7:06 pm

        Butter-flavored Crisco- the best!

        Reply
    • Mary Kay Schlimpert

      December 9, 2020 at 7:21 am

      I fry them in butter Crisco! Delicious!

      Reply
    • Mirek

      February 23, 2021 at 8:39 am

      Vegetable oil.

      Reply
  4. LenaM

    February 8, 2018 at 6:29 am

    Getting some serious cravings this Tłusty Czwartek! When you say fry in batches, I assume this would be deep frying in the fat of choice rather than on a frying pan?

    Reply
    • polishhousewife

      February 8, 2018 at 8:36 pm

      I don’t have a deep fat fryer but 1.5 inches of fat in a saucepan or frying pan will work.

      Reply
    • Mirek

      February 23, 2021 at 8:40 am

      That is correct.

      Reply
  5. Diane Ball

    December 12, 2018 at 5:32 am

    Does one have to use alcohol?

    Reply
    • polishhousewife

      December 12, 2018 at 1:12 pm

      The recipes I’ve seen tend to call for it; it’s supposed to make the end product more flaky and tender, but you could certainly use some other liquid. Food for thought – vanilla extract is essentially vanilla bean infused vodka.

      Reply
    • Mirek

      February 23, 2021 at 8:41 am

      Vinegar will work.

      Reply
  6. Dana

    December 30, 2018 at 8:03 am

    My dad used to make these for me every Christmas and Easter. He never wrote down the recipe (for this or any other Polish goodies!), so I am very grateful to have found this. I’m going to make some with my daughters this afternoon and let the tradition continue! Also, we never had a storage problem…they never lasted long enough!

    Reply
    • polishhousewife

      December 30, 2018 at 8:09 am

      Wonderful memories; I’m so happy you can continue the tradition!

      Reply
  7. Carolyn Kowalski

    February 26, 2019 at 11:58 am

    WE use to make these with our neighbor. Back in the 1960’s. Our neighbor and my Mom were polish cooks for weddings, funerals and so on. My Mom also gave me a recipe for baking Chrusciki. They are really good!

    Reply
    • polishhousewife

      February 26, 2019 at 8:31 pm

      That recipe is a treasure! ❤️❤️❤️

      Reply
    • polishhousewife

      March 27, 2019 at 3:12 pm

      What nice memories!

      Reply
    • Mirek

      February 23, 2021 at 8:42 am

      Baking? I’d like to see that recipe please.

      Reply
  8. debbi Daszkiewicz

    February 26, 2019 at 1:00 pm

    We found something similar to this at our local Corner Market, but the dough was rolled out and they spread almond paste on them, and then twisted them. Fried them and then powdered sugar. They were to die for! Anybody know what these are called? They were addictive!

    Reply
    • polishhousewife

      February 26, 2019 at 8:32 pm

      I haven’t heard of them but I love almond paste, sounds good to me!

      Reply
    • Mirek

      February 23, 2021 at 8:44 am

      Kolaczki I think. Not the same thing in the slightest.

      Reply
  9. G. Goodwin

    February 27, 2019 at 9:54 am

    This sounds very good. I’m about half Polish and never was with my Polish grandmother when she cooked so I love seeing these recipes.

    Reply
    • polishhousewife

      February 27, 2019 at 2:22 pm

      I’m happy that I can connect you with some family memories; thanks for taking time to comment!

      Reply
  10. Laura

    March 1, 2019 at 5:57 pm

    My Nana made them all the time. We call them bow ties. I did get her recipe before she died but it’s a pretty involved process. The rolling, to get them very very thin. We store them in shirt boxes with paper towels and wax paper.

    Reply
    • Mirek

      February 23, 2021 at 8:46 am

      It’s very easy. Not hard at all. Perhaps a little time consuming but rather cathartic.

      Reply
  11. Barb

    March 27, 2019 at 8:12 am

    what does alcohol do in so many polish baking? What is the benefit of using it?

    Reply
    • polishhousewife

      March 27, 2019 at 3:15 pm

      In this case, I’ve heard that it keeps the dough from absorbing the oil while frying. And using alcohol in place of part of the liquid in pastry recipes is supposed to minimize gluten development, giving you a flaky rather than chewy product.

      Reply
    • Katherine Sielski-Kayes

      November 3, 2019 at 1:51 pm

      it keeps the cook happy.

      Reply
    • Dani

      October 17, 2020 at 5:59 pm

      It stops the fat from being absorbed and less chace of being greasy

      Reply
  12. Diane

    March 31, 2019 at 10:54 pm

    Hi we just made these and they turned wonderful! I just need to be a little quicker on the twists next time so the pastry doesn’t dry out and break when i twist them.

    Reply
  13. Judy

    October 4, 2019 at 2:06 pm

    My grandmother made the hruschki and they were “tough”. Not flakey. Good for dunking in coffee. How can I make them for this result?c

    Reply
    • polishhousewife

      October 4, 2019 at 2:14 pm

      I think being careful not to overwork the dough. Adding `a spoon of booze is supposed to help with that too. Roll them thin; I’ve been told mine are too thick.

      Reply
  14. Christine

    November 3, 2019 at 8:06 am

    My bushy never added the alcohol. We call them bow ties

    Reply
    • Gerry

      April 2, 2021 at 5:12 pm

      Christine, funny to read ‘bushy’. My granddaughter s calls me bushy every now and then!

      Reply
  15. Barbara

    November 3, 2019 at 1:55 pm

    After frying them,and cooling them off, can i freeze them??

    Reply
    • polishhousewife

      November 3, 2019 at 8:44 pm

      I’ve read about people freezing them. They might quickly crisp them in the oven after thawing and then doing the powdered sugar.

      Reply
  16. M reenz

    November 4, 2019 at 9:29 pm

    My grandma made these with brandy but sometimes used red wine vinegar if she didn’t have brandy. The alcohol or vinegar makes them crispy and bubbly! She always zested an orange. I haven’t made these in a long time. Now I’m going to make some soon.

    Reply
  17. Doreen E Hemstock

    December 11, 2019 at 12:44 pm

    They were angel wings to my family. Going to try something different this year when I make them I’m going to try rolling them out with my pasta machine and see what happens. I’ll send you a comment as to the results. Merry Christmas

    Reply
    • polishhousewife

      December 14, 2019 at 9:08 am

      I’ll bet you can get them VERY thin!

      Reply
  18. Mary Ann

    April 10, 2020 at 5:46 am

    Has anyone tried an air fryer for a less oily version?

    Reply
  19. Althea Green

    December 21, 2020 at 6:34 pm

    My “dough” was liquid and I dipped my rosette iron into liquid and hen the iron into boiling oil. It browned quickly and I put them on paper towels and they cooled quickly.then powdered them with powered sugar. There were several irons. Butterfly ,rosette were my kids favorites. I cannot remember the recipe. Yours are similar but mine was a thick liquid. There’s no one left in family or neighborhood who knew this recipe

    Reply
  20. Izabela

    December 30, 2020 at 4:01 pm

    Do you know if you could use buttermilk in place of heavy cream or sour cream?

    Reply
    • polishhousewife

      December 31, 2020 at 2:12 pm

      I haven’t tried it, Izabela, but I think the substitution you suggest could be successful.

      Reply
  21. Jan

    January 13, 2021 at 11:09 pm

    We called these fatimas … delicious. Have not had them since Mom had a stroke in 1979 … will be making the before Lent this year for sure!

    Reply
  22. Fran

    March 31, 2021 at 9:52 am

    I remember my mother making those when I was a child. We loved them so much. She called them Chruściki. I haven’t heard of them in a long time.

    Reply
  23. Patricia Wisniowski

    June 18, 2021 at 11:38 am

    Very interesting comments, My mother in law gave me a recipe, very basic. A lot of work! I think they were called, hruschki. I just tried typing in recipe for Polish Ribbons. Nice surprise, I enjoyed.

    Reply
    • polishhousewife

      June 22, 2021 at 9:44 am

      The ch sounds like an h, so we agree on pronunciation! 🙂

      Reply
  24. Brian

    October 8, 2021 at 5:43 pm

    My Nana made these every Christmas. And when I was in college she always gave me a batch to bring back with me. She stores them in a cardboard cloths box lined I think with paper towels. Stayed nice and crisp. Although she sometime made this shape she also made them with what seems like a thinner batter. She with did a snowflake pattern iron in the batter then tough it to the hot oil. The batter would come off the iron and cook in the oil. They were extremely think and crispy. My mouth is watering just thinking about them. Always called them Chrusciki.

    Reply
  25. Trina

    December 15, 2021 at 3:56 pm

    I’m looking to make these for Christmas this year but don’t like to deep fry things and don’t have the means to. How to these do in the air fryer?

    Reply
    • polishhousewife

      December 15, 2021 at 4:16 pm

      Give them a spray of oil and air fry.

      Reply
  26. Linda

    December 22, 2021 at 9:05 pm

    I will be making these for Christmas this year and will make this a Polish tradition to pass to my children.

    Reply
  27. Sandy Holloway

    January 7, 2022 at 6:33 pm

    Just what I was looking for! Yum! My great aunt baked everything under the sun – EXCEPT these Angel Wings. She bought them from a Polish bakery outside of Detroit. They never lasted long! Circa 1960’s

    Reply
  28. Krysia

    December 11, 2022 at 10:07 am

    Has anyone sussed how to oven bake Christy. I’m not keen on frying and wonder if they can be made just as delicious in the oven? If not, I’ll make them in oil, like I remember my babcia did.

    Reply
    • Aleksandra

      February 15, 2023 at 7:23 pm

      I saw recipes saying to bake faworki/chrusty/chruściki at 160-180°C for about 10 minutes.

      Reply
    • Aleksandra

      February 15, 2023 at 8:26 pm

      For healthier faworki you could try this recipe for baked faworki from a dietician Justyna Marszałkowska-Jakubik.

      Makes about 25 – 30 pieces.
      Ingredients:
      1 yolk
      1 tablespoon of sugar or any sweetener
      100 g of wheat flour
      2 tablespoons of natural yoghurt (or Greek yoghurt, or plant based yoghut)
      1 pinch of salt
      powdered sugar for sprinkling

      Knead and form as regular faworki, and then bake 5-10 minutes at 180°C (356°F).

      Source:
      https://zdrowonajedzeni.pl/recipes/faworki-bez-smazenia/

      Reply
      • Krysia

        January 23, 2024 at 6:54 am

        Thank you Aleksandra. I am going to try these!

        Reply
  29. denise

    February 8, 2023 at 6:13 am

    Thanks for the memories. I remember my grandma making these.

    Reply
  30. Jerry

    January 5, 2024 at 7:09 pm

    Loved it! Thank you very much! Mine were not as crisp as I remembered them to be. Perhaps I didn’t roll the dough thin enough? Or the oil was not hot enough? Any thoughts?

    Reply
    • Lois Britton

      March 25, 2024 at 2:45 pm

      Thin is the key. I struggle to get the dough thin enough, but that seems to be the answer. .

      Reply
  31. Bernadine Kica Hulka

    January 23, 2024 at 12:04 pm

    Oh what memories. I have not made these in many years. Maybe I will try this year.

    Reply
  32. Mary Przybylowski

    February 10, 2024 at 8:52 pm

    My great grandma, who was from Poland, used to call these cuchadi, which would be pronounced in English like Suhadi. I was just wondering if anyone else had heard this term used.

    Reply
  33. Paul

    December 9, 2024 at 2:31 pm

    My Nana used to make these every time we came to visit, 3-4 times a year. Later, when she was closing in on 100 I asked her (through my aunt, she spoke no English) for the recipe. She responded with ‘It depends on how many you want to make!’ It was clear she just winged it and I couldn’t get anything but the basic ingredients from her. That’s was in the 1980s and although I tried, I couldn’t get anywhere near the right result. Fast forward 40 years and the magic of the interwebs brings me this recipe. I just finished my first batch, and they were close. A couple more tries and I think I will be able to match my 40 year old memories. I cannot wait to send some to my brother and sister in the same white boxes she used to use with the same colored string on the boxes. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Lois Britton

      December 13, 2024 at 6:25 pm

      Oh, Paul, thanks so much for sharing your story. What a treat for your siblings.

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Which of the world’s fried doughs is the best fried dough? - The News Reflection says:
    December 10, 2017 at 4:41 am

    […] imagining faworki makes me crave them. Faworki are the Polish version of the “angel wings” eaten across Europe on Fat Tuesday, prior to Lent—thin […]

    Reply
  2. Polish Desserts for Easter - Polish Housewife says:
    March 29, 2018 at 12:04 pm

    […] Chruściki, Chrusty, Faworki, Angel Wings — whatever you call them, these twisted little pastries are crisp, lightly sweet with powdered sugar […]

    Reply
  3. Paczki for Fat Thursday (Tlusty Czwartek) - Polish Housewife says:
    January 21, 2019 at 1:19 pm

    […] Angel Wings are another favorite fried food for Fat Thursday. […]

    Reply
  4. homepage says:
    December 20, 2019 at 1:52 pm

    homepage

    Chruściki, Chrusty Faworki, Angel Wings – Polish Housewife

    Reply
  5. Andělská křídla: Upečte si sladké pečivo lehké jako obláček. Ideální ke kávě - Jimeto.cz says:
    August 9, 2023 at 7:31 am

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