Christmas in Poland isn’t official until someone makes chrusciki. These powdered sugar crullers are actually pretty easy to make but if you don’t have a rolling pin it’s not going to happen because the key is to roll the dough paper thin. Chrusciki are the only things I deep fry because there is no other way to make this light-as-a-cloud cookie – I guess that’s why they also call them angel wings. So I’m sharing my recipe for these Polish Christmas cookies but it turns out they are not just Polish. Here is what they’re called in other countries:
Belarus – хрушчы (chruščy) or фаворкі (favorki)
Croatia – krostole
Denmark – klejner
France – bugnes
Germany – raderkuchen
Hungary – csöröge
Italy – bugie, cenci, chiacchiere, crostoli, frappe, galani, sfrappole
Lithuania – žagarėliai
Malta – xkunvat
Romania – minciunele, regionally: cirighele, scovergi
Russia – хворост (khvorost)
Sweden – klenäter
Ukraine – вергуни (verhuny)
Merry Christmas to all you cooks out there and thank you for all your comments and notes. I do appreciate the feedback. I hope you’ll try this show-stopping, delicious holiday cookie. Click here for the recipe. – Jenny Jones
My family has been making chrusciki at Christmas for 5 generations our family recipe is passed down faithfully only to the family member who promises to keep it and pass it down to the next generation.I am the lucky one
Hi, Jenny
The Angel Wings are also very popular in the South of Brazil where it has a really funny name: “Cueca Virada”. It can be translated as Turning Underpants or something like that. I still don’t know why we gave it such it such a peculia name 😀
https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cueca_virada
I made your angel wings for Xmas and they came out beautiful. I made them again today and my dough was not sticky. It kind of just crumbled. the angel wings came out fine but not as light. I followed directions and did everything as last time. WHAT HAPPENED ????
If they turned out well the first time then you know the recipe works. The problem might be in the way you measured the flour. If you did not aerate it first, you may have used too much flour. Also making two batches may have caused problems. I find it’s not easy to make two separate batches of anything. I suggest you try again making one batch so your focus is only on one, be sure to aerate the flour before measuring (https://www.jennycancook.com/flour-basics/), and see how it turns out. Please let me know.
my Italian mother made these every Christmas! These are so good that they are good even with a sweet wine!
I have been wanting to make these for years, but did not know what they were called. I have not had them since before my grandmother died in 1966 when I was 5! She was Hungarian (born in Pest in late 1800s) and I thought they were called kieflies, but a search for kieflies always turned up a different cookie. Today I searched images of Hungarian cookies, and voila! There they were. Thank you, Jenny, for showing me hour to make my grandmother’s cookies!
I think I’ve had these before, and I really do enjoy them!
Yesterday, I watched your pierogi video several times, and then I gave it a try! I was a little nervous because I tried making them a few years ago and they were hideous (Those were not from your recipe by the way!!)
The ones I made with your recipe last night, came out great ! The way you explained everything and walked us through the steps and even gave the great tips on how to stuff your dough really broke it down and made the process even simpler.
I think now that I can make my own, I will be making them myself from now on! Thank you!
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