Jessi has had the hankering to make some cookies, but not any ordinary cookies. She wants to make Schrusties(screw-s-t-ee-s)! They're a traditional pastry/cookie that was handed down to us as kids from my dad, from his grandma. I remember making them as a kid, having a blast, and making a mess! The bigger the mess it makes, the better the food, I think. :)
Awhile ago, my dad arranged for him, Jamin, and I to go and learn how to make them from a co-worker of his how to make them, because they are also a Polish tradition, if by a different name. We took careful notes and it was great to learn how to make them. I promised Jessi I would find the recipe with all of our notes and put it up on our blog so she could get at it and make delicious schrusties(I made up that spelling) for her and her friends, but sadly I am at a loss as to where the recipe book where we wrote it down is. We've recently moved to Wyoming and even though we've made a lot of progress with moving in and getting organized and adjusted to things, there are still a few boxes hanging around. I went through the remaining boxes and I did find some recipe books, but not THAT one. Tragic, I know.
There is light at the end of the tunnel, though. I remember that the lady who taught us showed us a website that had the same instructions that she had taught us about how to make schrusties. It's called chrust(cr-oo-st, with a rolled r) in those instructions but it's the same thing.
Here's a link to those instructions:
Chrust, Chrusciki, or Faworki
And here are my tips to go along with those instructions. I made some in May, so it's fresh on my mind.
-The ingredients are almost exactly the same. The only possible difference is that I used powdered sugar for the final touch. Powdered sugar and confectioner sugar might be the same thing, but if you're like me and don't know, powdered sugar works great!
-When it says "form a dough" that means to kneed it with your hands until it is soft, smooth, and everything is mixed together so there is no distinction of individual ingredients.
-When I learned how to make these, our friend said to put the dough in the fridge, so I did this last time not knowing if it was too hard or soft. I don't know what is too soft or too hard. But maybe it would be easier if it weren't cooled, because when I recently made it the dough was very elastic so it was very difficult to roll out as thinly as possible. So, I suggest not cooling the dough first and if it goes weird then put it in the fridge for a few minutes. I think it will become more elastic the cooler it is.
-When they say roll it thin, roll it THIN! My dad said that his grandma could roll it so thin that it was partially transparent! So basically, don't brake it, but you can't roll it too thin. :)
-For the length for cutting I like to make them a little shorter than they did in the pictures. I like the twist to go the entire length of the pastry. I also cut them diagonally rather than straight across. I think it makes it look better in the end. I'm also not afraid to make extra small ones with the scraps on the edges.
-When I made mine recently I fried them too long and they were way too dark. Not burnt, but a much darker brown than in their pictures. Follow their pictures. They don't have to be very dark to be cooked. Especially if they're nice and thin.
-Instead of sprinkling the powdered sugar in the end, I get a brown paper bag, put the 1/2 cup of powdered sugar in the bag. Then I put the fried schrusties on a plate with a paper towel on in to let the oil drain off. Then they go in the bag. Then you shake them around inside and it gives them a nice even coating of powdered sugar.
Enjoy!
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