Chrusciki Polish Angel Wings

I am getting ready for Easter which seems strange because we have another snow storm on the way.  So,  I made Polish Chrusciki.  When I was a little girl these were my father's favorite cookie.  I suspect his Polish mother made them for him. She died long before I was born but I sort of felt like I channeled her when I made these for the first time yesterday.  I wished I could have brought her back from the dead since I really could have used the help!

iPhoto is giving me fits this morning so the photos are out of synch and nothing I do corrects it.  This pic shows how you roll the dough out.  It needs to be very thin.

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 3 egg yolks
• 2 Tablespoons sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1 Tablespoon sour cream
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon each lemon & orange zest
• 3/4 cup all purpose flour
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• up to 2 Tablespoons additional flour
• 1 quart of oil for frying
•  powdered sugar
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Instructions:

1. In a small bowl using an electric hand mixer on high, beat egg yolks, sugar and salt until thick and lemon colored - about a minute.
2. On low speed, stir in sour cream, vanilla, zests & flour.
3. Transfer to a floured surface and knead 100 turns (about 3 minutes), adding extra flour as needed.
4. Divide dough in half, keeping extra covered with plastic.
5. On a lightly floured surface, roll each section paper-thin to at least 12” across. Cut into 1 1/4-inch strips. Cut strips into 5-inch lengths. Make a slit in each strip. Pull one end through slit to make a bow tie.
6. Deep fry in oil at 375° F for about a minute, turning once using 2 forks, until lightly golden on both sides. Do not crowd.
7. Drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

These cookies are flavored with orange and lemon rind as well as some juice.

Cut the dough into strips and put a slit in the middle of each one.

Heat some oil and place a rack with paper towels under it nearby.

Slip the top of each strip through the hole in the center and pull it through.

Fry about 5 at a time.  They brown quickly and I found that I had too many in the pot the first time.

Drain them and let them cool on the rack.

When they have cooled, sprinkle the cookies with confectioners sugar.  Turn them over and sprinkle the other side.  Make sure to let the cookies cool or the sugar will melt on them.

I doubled the above recipe which ended up making about 70 cookies.  Doubling these is a good idea because they flew out of here.  My daughter said she could not stop eating them.