Chrusciki Texture

[piwo]

The Chrusciki thread made me think about the different Chrusciki I've had over the years. My mom makes very thin and delicate Chrusciki, while most at the Polish festivals I attend and friends houses are much thicker, and sturdier. I've always thought there was only one way, but it seems many people like them sturdier, for "dunking" (BLASPHEMEY) and such.

What say you all???

[gardenmoma]

Thin and delicate is the way they should be...

Thick and sturdy is the way they often end up because the dough has been worked too much and the dough rolled thick and not thin.

The thick ones travel well to food sales and such, and are reaLLY GREAT FOR DUNKING; but my greatest memories are biting into one and having crisp crumbs and powdered sugar fly every which way

GM

[nancy]

I voted "no preference" because I have not had any in the past million years, and I am hoping to judge the cook-off ;D

[jimpres]

When I fly over Mass I'll drop you some.

[Jaga]

piwo said:

The Chrusciki thread made me think about the different Chrusciki I've had over the years. My mom makes very thin and delicate Chrusciki, while most at the Polish festivals I attend and friends houses are much thicker, and sturdier. I've always thought there was only one way, but it seems many people like them sturdier, for "dunking" (BLASPHEMEY) and such.

What say you all???

Yes, thin, crunchy, delicate are the right chrusciki. The dough should be very flexible and the fried chrisciki should have some "bubbles"

but after lots of piwo it does not matter ;D

[rdywenur]

Jaga I love your answer. And I too agree that it should be light and thin. The heavier ones are indead probably over worked or maybe made that way on purpose.

[justjohn]

rdywenur said:

Jaga I love your answer. And I too agree that it should be light and thin. The heavier ones are indead probably over worked or maybe made that way on purpose.

In the December issue of Gourmet Magazine on page 99
they describe the recipe for 'Chrusti' (Knot cookies).

"One of our test-kitchen assistants, Herta Guhl, sold us on these Polish fried dough cookies. A little powdered sugar makes them irresistible."

Special equipment:

a pasta machine
a deep-fat thermometer


If anybody wants I can type it in here.

[nancy]

I wager that no one in Poland (or in this forum) uses a pasta machine to make these.

[justjohn]

nancy said:

I wager that no one in Poland (or in this forum) uses a pasta machine to make these.

You're probably right.

they dolist the option of using a rolling pin.

[rdywenur]

The benefit of a pasta machine would be that the dough would get rolled out evenly. I think that is why they mention it which is a good helpful hint but not a necessary one

[piwo]

The added step of my mother to "refrigerate" the dough for awhile was to aid in the handling of the thin "cuts". At room temperature, the thicker dough is probably easier to work with, but chilling the dough makes it temporarily a little stiffer, and thus you are able to handle them a little easier when they are thin. Try it once if you don't already do it and see if it makes them easier to handle before frying.

[piwo]

I mixed some Chrusciki dough last night, and tonight I made half the batch. I actually haven't made them personally in about 29 years. It showed: the first 20 or so were too thick, the rest very thin. But, the fat was too hot, and most were too "done" for my liking. Well, practice makes perfect. Sorry Nancy, not from this first batch , but I'm working on it!

[nancy]

piwo said:

Sorry Nancy, not from this first batch , but I'm working on it!

I can wait! Practice makes perfect. ;D

oh - you already said that

well, just keep practicing,,,