Ukrainian Recipes: Khrustyky (Sweet Nothings)
These are a really nice dessert. I don't believe they are associated with any specific holiday or occasion, they seem to be used at any time of year. These recipes come from the Ukrainian Daughter's cookbook, and the Ukrainian Christmas book.
| INGREDIENTS | ||
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6 egg yolks 1 cup flour 1 tsp vinegar |
1 tsp sugar pinch of salt |
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| ALTERNATE RECIPE INGREDIENTS | ||
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4 eggs 2 tbsp sugar 2 tbsp sweet cream or evaporated milk 1 tsp brandy - this prevents them from absorbing too much oil |
1 tsp baking soda 1 tbsp rum 3 ½-4 cups flour |
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- Beat the egg yolks well, add sugar, vinegar and flour.
- Mix well, then knead dough until smooth, on a lightly floured board. Cover with a warm bowl, let stand 10-15 minutes, and no longer (I once let the dough sit for a time, and they didn't turn out well at all).
- Roll the dough out paper thin and cut, diagonally, in 1" wide strips. Then, cut these strips into diamond pieces about 2" long (See Figure 1).
Slit each piece in the centre. Take two of the corners, bring them up and pass them both through the slit (Figure 2). Pull the corners tightly through (Figure 3 - a side view) until the corners are back at their original position. This is hard to describe, but you'll know it's right when the bow doesn't pop back out of position, it should stay as is when its done right. Alan Granofsky says his Lithuanian family only tuck one corner into the slit and pull firmly through, so you can try that too!
Fry in deep fat, 350° until very lightly brown. Drain and sprinkle with icing sugar.
