The Ultimate Cookie Exchange #SundaySupper - Polish Chrusciki (Bow Ties)

This Week, Sunday Supper has  a special host who knows all about Cookies.  Janet Keeler, Food & Travel Editor for the Tampa Bay Times and Author of Cookielicious will be joining us with tips on baking for the Ultimate Cookie Exchange and to answer any of your baking questions.   Grab a glass of milk and join us for The Ultimate Cookie Exchange during #SundaySupper this week.  We are giving away 5 signed copies of Cookielicious with 150 fabulous recipes to bake and share.

The Sunday Supper Favorite Cookie Exchange Cookies:

• Turtle Thumbprint Cookies by Cravings of a Lunatic 
• #glutenfree Almond Oatmeal Raisin Cookies by Cooking Underwriter
• Old-Fashioned Oatmeal Cookies by The Food Army Wife
• M & M Cookies by Damn Delicious 
• Snowball Cookies by Small Wallet Big Appetite 
• Mocha Thumbprint Cookies by The Meltaways
• Cardamom-Walnut Cookies by Home Cooking Memories 
• Polish Chrusciki (Bow Ties) by Comfy Cuisine 
• Cherry Blossom Cookies by Flour on my Face
• Rosettes by That Skinny Chick Can Bake 
• Millionaire’s Shortbread by Gotta Get Baked 
• Double-the-Mint Chocolate Kiss Cookies by The Weekend Gourmet 
• Whole Wheat Cereal Cookies by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings 
• Chocolate Dipped Potato Chip Shortbread Cookies by The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen 
• Scories De Vulcan | Lava Stones Cookies by The Daily Dish Recipes
• Zimtsterne {Cinamon Stars} #Dairyfree by Galactosemia in PDX
• S’mores Cookies by Hezzi-D’s Book and Cooks
• Chocolate Whoppers by Vintage Kitchen Notes
• Ricotta Cookies with White Chocolate Glaze Country Girl in the Village
• Turtles by Dinners, Dishes and Desserts 
• Salted Caramel Brownie Cookies! by I Run For Wine
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Toffee Cookies by The Urban Mrs.
• Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies by She likes ruffles, he likes truffles 
• Amaretto Almond Biscotti by Noshing With The Nolands
• Mexican Chocolate Cookies by Generation Y Foodie 
• Double Chocolate Peppermint Biscotti by Pippis in the Kitchen Again
• Ice Cream Kolaczki by Cookistry
• Amoniaczki by What Smells So Good?
• Fruit and Nut Ice Box Cookies by In the Kitchen with Audrey
• Ginger Bourbon Balls by girlichef
• Candy Cane Blossom Cookies by Mommas Meals 
• Double Chocolate Cranberry Cookies by Lovely Pantry
• Ninja Bread Men by Diabetic Foodie 
• Peppermint Sugar Cookies by In The Kitchen With KP
• Christmas Crunchies by Magnolia Days
• Cream Cheese Swirled Red Velvet Cookies by Mom’s Test Kitchen
• Double Peanut Butter Surprise Cookies and Tips on Mailing Cookies by Chocolate Moosey
• Congo Bars by Supper for a Steal 
• Mint Surprise Cookies by The Cookie A Day Challenge
• Salted Caramel Thumbprint Cookies by Midlife Road Trip
• Spiced Rum Balls by Webicurean
• Best Ever Pecan Pie Bars by Shockingly Delicious
• Oreo Cheesecake Cookies by Baker Street 
• Biscoff Pillow Cookies by by The Messy Baker Blog
• Mexican Hot Cocoa Cookies by Juanita’s Cocina
• Raspberry Thumbprints for my first #SundaySupper!  by Kelly Bakes 
• Tea Biscuits by My Cute Bride
• Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies by Mama Mommy Mom 
• Lebanese Butter Cookies for the Christmas Season by The Catholic Foodie
• Almond Joy Macaroons by Cupcakes and Kale Chips 
• Gluten Free Coconut Fruit Nut Cookies by Sue’s Nutrition Buzz 
•  Snowball Surprises by Family Foodie
Check out Cookielicious by Food Editor Janet K. Keeler from The Tampa Bay Times now while there is a special… Buy One Cookielicious Cookbook and get one for a friend!
These are our favorite cookies for Christmas.  About as addicting as potato chips!  Mom would make tons of them - a roasting pan full!  We would just keep them on the dining room table and everytime you walked by you had to take a few!  For storing these cookies, just cover lightly with aluminum foil so they stay crispy.

Traditionally, Chrusciki (hrrooss-CHEE-kee) are associated with the pre-Lenten feasting of Mardi Gras. In America, chrusciki or Polish crullers are served at any special occasion.

Ingredients

• 5 large egg yolks, at room temperature*
• 1 large whole egg, at room temperature
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 cup sour cream (or heavy cream)
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 Tbsp. rum or brandy
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• Canola or vegetable oil
• Confectioners' sugar for dusting 

Preparation:

Combine egg yolks, whole egg and salt in bowl of mixer.  Beat at high speed until thick and lemon colored, about 5 minutes.  Beat in sugar, sour cream or cream, vanilla and rum.  Add flour gradually to form a cohesive dough.  This dough is very soft.  Add just enough flour so the dough is no longer sticky.

Turn dough out onto a floured board, divide in half, cover with plastic wrap and let rest for at least 20 minutes.

Working with half of the dough at a time, roll out to 1/8-inch thickness.  These are best when the dough is paper thin.  Cut into 1 x 3 inch wide strips.

Heat 2 inches of oil in a large, deep skillet to 350 degrees.  Make a slit in the center of each strip of dough, then pull one end through the slit to form a bow.

Fry  about 6 chrusciki at a time for 1 minutes or less per side or until golden.  These fry quickly, so watch closely.  Drain on paper towels.  Dust generously with confectioner's sugar.

Check out Cookielicious by Food Editor Janet K. Keeler from The Tampa Bay Times now while there is a special… Buy One Cookielicious Cookbook and get one for a friend!

Do you have a favorite cookie to take to a Cookie Exchange?  Please join on us on Twitter throughout the day during #SundaySupper on December 9th.  In the evening we will meet at 7pm EST for our #SundaySupper Ultimate Cookie Exchange live chat.

All you have to do is follow the #SundaySupper hashtag or you can follow us through TweetChat.

We’d also love to feature your recipe for The Ultimate Cookie Exchange on our #SundaySupper Pinterest board to share them with all of our followers, too.

Quick Tip

Many recipes call for egg yolks only, so you fill your refrigerator with a container of egg whites but, by the time you figure out what to do with them, they've gone bad. This is an easy technique for freezing egg whites. 

When separating eggs, have an ice cube tray handy. Either separate the egg over the tray, letting the white fall into one compartment only of the tray. Or you can separate the egg over a small bowl and pour the egg white into the tray. Pour only one egg white into each compartment. This will work for small to large eggs. Jumbo egg whites might be too large for the compartments, but most recipes call for large eggs anyway. 

Place the ice cube tray in the freezer and freeze the egg whites until firm. Pop the egg whites out and transfer them to a zip-top freezer bag and return to the freezer. Now, whenever you need one, two or three egg whites for an egg-white only recipe, you have them, premeasured, at your disposal. Just thaw as many cubes, representing one egg white each, as needed in the refrigerator and use. 

Egg whites will deliver full volume if they are at room temperature. So, once the egg white is completely thawed in the fridge, let it come to room temperature before whipping.

I had posted this recipe on the Mixing Bowl a few years ago and received this lovely comment from a reader.  I just had to save it!

by mzgrizz
Thank you soooo much for posting this recipe!!!!  When I was in college, one of my classmates was Polish and we spent an afternoon (when we should have been studying) making Chrusciki - and they were wonderful.  More moves than I can count later the recipe and I were separated, but the rememberance of that December afternoon and  how good they were has lingered all these years.  I had given up ever having this delightful treat again until this morning when my husband and I were taking a leisurely morning to wander through Mixing Bowl together.  You have brought great joy to an otherwise grey day!  I so appreciate you having shared this, and I hope others have enjoyed it as much as I have.  If there was a way to issue spoons here I would definitely give it 10!!!  Thanks again.