Uncle John's Polish Pretzils
(Polish name)
Krusczikis
(pronounced Krus chick' ees)
Ingredients:
-
5 egg yolks
-
3 tbsp of sugar
-
5 tbsp of melted butter
-
grated rind of one lemon
-
1 tbsp of brandy
-
1 tsp of vanilla
-
1/2 tsp of almond extract
-
2 cups of sifted flour
-less 2 tbsps
-
1/4 tsp of salt
Directions:
-
Stir egg yolks and sugar together until smooth.
-
Melt butter over gentle heat and let it cool.
-
Stir in the brandy, extracts, grated lemon rind and blend into yolk mixture.
-
Resift flour with salt, mixing into other ingredients.
-
Turn dough out on a lightly-floured board.
-
Knead it and knead it until it becomes a smooth dough, firm enough to roll.
-
Chill for one hour before preparation.
-
Roll out on board thinner than pie crust and cut in strips about one and a half inches wide and four inches long.
-
Cut out a small rectangular slit in the center of each strip about 1 inch long and pull one end of it through.
-
Have deep fat heated to about 390 degrees F (test: hot enough to fry a crustless one-inch cube of bread gold brown in 30 seconds).
-
Drop the strips into it a few at a time and fry to a pale golden brown.
-
Strain out, drain on paper towel and dust with confectioners' sugar.
'Lover's Knots'
Krusczikis, sometimes called Polish Pretzils or Lover's Knots, are fried like doughnuts. They are a Polish delicacy. The spelling was written by my Uncle John's Polish born mother on her recipe. It has a phonetic apostrophe mark over the fist letter "s."