Polish Faworki (Chruściki Recipe) – Light & Crispy
A Polish grandmother's recipe for faworki, also called chruściki or angel wings. Thin ribbons of yolk-rich dough, twisted, fried and buried in icing sugar. The beating step is what keeps them light.✨
Servings: 50 faworki
Calories: 300kcal
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Equipment:
- Rolling Pin - To roll the dough paper-thin for the crispiest faworki.
- Slotted Spoon or Tongs - For flipping and removing faworki from the hot oil.
- Small Fryer or a pan - To fry the faworki; a heavy-bottomed pan works best for even heating.
- Cooking thermometer - To maintain the oil temperature at 175°C.
- Stand mixer with dough hook - If you prefer not to knead by hand.
Ingredients:
Ingredients (Makes about 40 faworki)
- 250 g plain flour - plus extra for dusting
- 4 egg yolks
- 25 g unsalted butter - melted and cooled
- 50 g sour cream
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp vodka or spirit - optional, helps with crispiness
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp salt
- Oil for frying - sunflower or vegetable oil
- Icing sugar for dusting
Instructions:
Prepare the Dough
- In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, and salt. Add egg yolks, sour cream, vanilla extract, and vodka. Pour in the melted butter and knead until the dough becomes smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes). Wrap in cling film and let it rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
Beat the Dough for Airiness
- After the dough has rested for 30 minutes, take a rolling pin and beat the dough for about 5 minutes.This step incorporates air, helping the faworki turn out light and crispy.
Roll & Cut the Dough
- Roll the dough on a floured surface until it is paper-thin, about 2 mm. Lay the sheet over your hand and you should be able to see the shape of it through the dough. Using a knife or pastry cutter, cut into 2.5 cm x 10 cm strips, make a slit down the centre of each, and pull one end through to make the twist.
Fry Faworki
- Heat oil to 175°C (347°F) in a deep pan. Fry the faworki in small batches, turning them until they’re golden and puffed (30-40 seconds per side). Remove and drain on paper towels.
Dust & Serve
- Once slightly cooled, dust generously with icing sugar. Enjoy them fresh and crispy!
Notes:
Why the vodka. Alcohol evaporates faster than water, so it leaves the dough as steam and helps the faworki puff and stay crisp rather than drinking up oil. A tablespoon is enough, and you cannot taste it.
Roll them thinner than feels right. About 2 mm. Lay the sheet over your hand and you should see the shape of it through the dough. Thick dough is the reason faworki come out hard instead of shattering.
Keep the oil steady at 175C. Too hot and they colour before the inside is cooked, too cool and they sit in the fat and soak it up. Fry a few at a time and let the oil come back up between batches.
Storing them. Never in a sealed plastic container or a bag. They give off a little moisture as they sit, plastic traps it, and by morning they have gone leathery. Polish kitchens keep them in an open container, a cardboard box or a tin lined with kitchen paper, so air moves around them. Stored that way they keep two or three days. Do not refrigerate, and do not freeze them once fried, as they lose their snap. If they soften, five minutes in a low oven brings most of it back, then dust with fresh icing sugar.
Nutrition:
Serving: 100g | Calories: 300kcal | Carbohydrates: 37.5g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 6.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 87mg | Sodium: 125mg | Potassium: 62.5mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 3.75g | Vitamin A: 175IU | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 0.75mg
