Later in her life my grandmother had me help her make Chrusciki whenever I was home visiting. I was never a big fan of it, I preferred her apple pies. But the idea was that I was to be the keeper of the Chrusciki for the family. I preparation for a visit home I am making Chrusciki this weekend. I don't think grandma ever made it the same way twice. I wrote it down a couple of times and for this round I used an amalgamation of those recipes along with consulting some others I saw online.
My version uses 11 egg yolks and 1 full egg. I am happy to report the the skill of separating eggs is like riding a bicycle, I was able to jump right into it again. You will also note that the vodka I used was also Polish - trying to keep with tradition. Damon suggests that the reason for vodka to be in the recipe is less for the food product and more for the convenience of the baker to have it handy while cooking, as I don't drink its kind of a non-issue.
The 'fun' part is the cutting and twisting. The second photo is the first half of the batch - half cut and the other half already twisted.
After they are twisted they get tossed into the oil. One recipe called for the oil to be 375 degrees F, but my stove only managed to get it up to 325.
Anyway the seem to have come out OK. They are a bit browner then I recall, but they have a good flavor (pre-powdered sugared).
For the record here is the recipe I followed:
11 egg yolks
1 full egg
1 shot of vodka
2 T sugar
2 T sour cream
1 t salt
1 t vanilla extract
2.5 c flour (sifted)
Additional flour for kneading and rolling out
Crisco - 1 inch deep in a pan for frying at about 325 degrees F.
After they are done you sprinkle powdered sugar over them.
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