These angel wing cookies, aka Polish “chrusciki”, are the perfect combination of crunchy, airy, and sweet. Perfect for a holiday tray or year-round!
Angel wing cookies, aka chrusciki or kruschiki, are popular Polish cookies typically served around Christmas time or before the start of Lent. In English, chrusciki translates into “crunchies” – a perfect description for these sweet, deep-fried morsels!
I’m a huge fan of traditional Polish recipes, but these angel wing cookies have to be one of my favorite treats to make. Not only do they look like little adorable bow ties, but they also melt in your mouth. They are the epitome of simple, delicious baking!
What are Angel Wing Cookies Made of?
Angel wing cookies, or chrusciki or kruschiki, are made with a simple dough of sour cream, eggs, milk, sugar, flour, baking soda, and salt. Then, the dough is rolled out into a thin piece, formed into bow tie shapes, and deep-fried. After coming out of the frying oil, they are dusted with a generous sprinkling of powdered sugar.
Polish Chrusciki Video
How to Make Polish Chrusciki
Making angel wing cookies requires a couple of simple steps and a little technique. Below, find a quick overview of the recipe before you hop in.
- Mix the Dry and Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, stir the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside. Next, whisk the eggs, milk, and sour cream together in another bowl. Then, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients until well-combined.
- Work the Dough: Using your hands, work the dough on a floured surface until you get a smooth texture. Set it aside for 15 minutes.
- Preheat the Oil: To prep for deep-frying, preheat a deep skillet with oil over medium-low heat.
- Shape the Cookies: Next, roll the dough out into a thin, flat piece on our floured surface. Using a sharp knife, slice it into long, 1-inch thick strips. Slice across the strips horizontally so you get 4-inch long strips and cut a slit into the center of each. Finally, take one end of each strip and thread it through the slit to form the cookie.
- Fry the Cookies: Deep-fry the cookies in small batches until they turn golden brown. Then, remove them and place them onto a plate covered with a paper towel to drain.
- Dust them with Sugar: Dust the cookies with a generous amount of powdered sugar/confectioner’s sugar. Enjoy!
Tips & Tricks
Below, find a couple of tips and tricks to help you make chrusciki as good as a Polish grandma.
- Sift the dry ingredients. To remove any lumps that could affect the texture of your cookies, use a flour sifter or a fine mesh sieve when combining the dry ingredients.
- Let the cookies dry for a couple of minutes before powdering. Give the cookies a couple of minutes to drain of any excess grease on the paper towel before you dust them with powdered sugar. This will ensure you get a pretty, white dusting versus having the grease soak up the sugar.
- Eat the cookies immediately. Like most deep-fried sweets, these cookies are best eaten as fresh from the fryer as possible.
- Finish them with a lemon zesting. For a citrusy, summertime spin on these cookies, toss them with a bit of lemon zest.
How to Store Angel Wing Cookies
- Room Temperature: Store chrusciki in an airtight container lined with parchment paper or wax paper at room temperature. They should keep for up to a week.
- Freezer: You should never freeze deep-fried chrusciki, as they don’t thaw well. However, you can freeze raw chrusciki. To do so, assemble them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Next, pop the baking sheet into the freezer. Once completely frozen, transfer the cookies into a freezer-safe bag and store them for up to 3 months. Fry them as directed.
Reheating Tip: While eating fresh-out-of-the-fryer chrusciki is always recommended (you just can’t beat it!), you can always reheat them by popping them in the oven or air fryer for 5 minutes for optimal crispiness. Never microwave them or they will turn soggy!
FAQ
What country is chrusciki from?
Chrusciki originated from Poland. They are closely associated with the feasting of Tłusty Czwartek or Fat Thursday before Lent begins.
What are some other names that chrusciki go by?
Polish chrusciki are also called kruschiki, chrust faworki, faworki, chrusty, angel wing cookies, crisps, crullers, and bow tie cookies.
How long does it take to make chrusciki?
It takes just under an hour to make chrusciki. The most time-consuming part of the process is making the dough and forming the cookies.
Can I make chrusciki with store-bought puff pastry?
You can make chrusciki with store-bought puff pastry if you’re looking for a shortcut. You’ll need to roll the dough out as thinly as possible and opt for baking the chrusciki versus deep-frying them.
Can I bake chrusciki instead of deep-frying them?
You can bake chrusciki, but they won’t have as good a texture or taste. To do so, assemble them 2 inches apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 375º for 13-15 minutes or until they turn golden brown. After you take them out of the oven, dust them with powdered sugar immediately.
Other Eastern European Cookies to Try
- Kolaczki Recipe (Polish Cookies) – Polish holiday cookies
- Ferrero Rocher Christmas Cookies – Chocolate hazelnut cookies
- Rugelach (Rogaliki) – Jam-filled crescent cookies
- Sochniki (Sweet Cheese Cookies) – Farmer’s cheese cookies
Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 3 cups flour
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- oil for frying
- powdered sugar for sprinking
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Set the mixture aside.
- In another bowl, whisk the eggs together with the milk and sour cream. Next, combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients.
- Work the dough with your hands until you get an even, smooth consistency. Set the dough aside to rest for 15 minutes.
- Preheat a deep skillet with oil over medium-low heat. While the oil is heating, roll the dough out into a flat piece and slice it into long, 1-inch thick strips.
- Slice the strips horizontally to where they are about 4 inches in length. Next, slice a slit into the center of each strip. To form the cookie, take one end of the strip and insert it through the slit.
- Fry the cookies in small batches until they turn a slight shade of golden brown.
- Remove the cookies from the oil and place them on a plate lined with paper towels. Dust each cookie with powdered sugar. Enjoy!
Great information shared.. really enjoyed reading this post thank you author for sharing this post .. appreciated
You're very welcome, Lilly. Hope you give the recipe a try and love them!
Wow!! Those are so thick! Mine are super thin!
Hi Ann, I always remember having them a bit puffed, but if you want them more crunchy you could go thinner! They are delicious either way 🙂
Love these polish recipes my mom used to make mostly all of these delicious cookies.
Thank you
Hi Vivian - That is so cool to hear! Thank you for your kind words. Polish cookies are some of the best IMO. 🙂
My dad's side was Polish so I was very excited to find this recipe. Everyone in my family loved these and I can't wait to make them again for Christmas cookie platters!
Yes!! They would be a beautiful addition to Christmas cookie platters!
Super easy to make and tasted really delicious! Thank you for sharing this angel wing cookies recipe! Will surely have this again! Well done!
I'm so glad you loved them, thank you for your feedback!
These angel wing cookies are so crispy and delicious! The cookies are so EASY to make and loved by everyone!
So glad you loved them!
Hy there,
I find your recipes more of intwresting and well explained.
Also could you please tell how to substitute eggs in breads or puff pastry doughs or even cookies?
Hi, we do have a recipe for puff pastry without eggs. Here is the recipe: https://momsdish.com/recipe/3…
I just found your website by searching for air fryer salmon (which turned out great)! Your recipes are wonderful. They remind me of the Polish dishes my mom used to make. Unfortunately, she passed away before she could teach me to cook. I have found Polish recipes on other sites, but you have such a vast assortment all in one place. Thank you for sharing! My question is about the angel wings. Have you ever tried them in the air fryer?
Hey Alicia! Omg so glad you found me and sharing that story with me. We lived really close to Poland and and during war, Poland took over part of Ukraine where we lived. My grandma would make a lot of Polish food and talk about her childhood, how she went to Polish school. We have a connection:)
I haven’t tried them in an air fryer. Haven’t made any friend pastries in it but I have been thinking about trying it for a while now. Will definitely test it and if it’s successful I’ll share a recipe. I share a lot of this on my Instagram stories as well. You can follow me @momsdish.
Did you use all purpose flour ? Will Canadian flour make a big difference ? ( I know that I’d have to use less than 3 cups)
No, in this recipe you cna use same amount. It would work out just fine.
Just made these! They are yummy!! I seriously love your site! Thank you thank you thank you:))
Oh wow Yelena! You made me smile big!!! :))) thanks for sharing. Those things are darn good. I need to make them.
For my reason mine turned out crispy. Do you know why?
They should turn out on a crispy side, maybe a little sift on the inside. Kinda like french fries.
Made these yummy cookies today. Thank you thank you. It brought soooo many good memories from my childhood. My kids can't stop eating them lol. Thanka Natasha.
Hey Veta, so awesome you get to introduce them to your kids and now they are creating memories 🙂 Glad you guys liked them!
hello natalya, i can print the receipe for some reason. ads keep coming out on the print page and it only prints the ad not the receipe.
Thanks for your feedback. It should be printing with no ads now. Let us know if you come across any other bugs!
I made these 2 weeks ago and froze the other half of the dough and cooked them again yesterday. They are so tastey! But I do wonder if they are suppouse to puff up like that when cooking in oil? Hubby said these usually are flat and crunchy, yet, he still loved them. Mmm.
Maybe if you roll them out thinner they can come out more crunchy. I remember having them a bit puffed. Thank you for sharing such a good idea of freezing the dough. 😉
We always made the dough with buttermilk. Its yummy too.
Combination of sour cream and milk make a similar result.
I had these one time at a girlfriends house and couldn't get over how yummy they were! Totally gonna make these today 🙂 thanks for the recipe!
Yes they are yummy. Have fun making them 🙂
Wow this is a blast from the past. My mom wasn't much of a baker, so this was her trademark dessert and we had these ALL THE TIME. Good memories 🙂
Yep, easy dessert for a person that doesnt bake 🙂
Yum!! Favorites from childhood:) I haven't made these in years. Need to make these soon:)))
Yeah, we often had some with kisel. So good
hi. What kinda oil is best to use? Thanks!
My favorite oil is spectrum organic canola oil.
oh good, I have same oil!
🙂 Good luck, hope you love them