Fanky

Fanky, also called faworki or chrusciki, are the crispy, shatteringly thin Polish pastry diamonds traditionally fried for Fat Thursday (Tlusty Czwartek) and Carnival season. The dough is rich with egg yolks, sour cream, butter, and a splash of wine or beer, kneaded until smooth, then rolled paper-thin and deep-fried in hot fat until golden.

Five egg yolks make this dough exceptionally pliable and easy to roll thin. The sour cream adds tenderness, and the wine (or beer) adds just enough acidity to keep the fried pastry light and crisp instead of dense and greasy. Roll the dough as thin as you possibly can. The thinner the dough, the crispier the finished cookie.

A generous dusting of powdered sugar while the fanky are still slightly warm is the traditional finish. The sugar clings to the surface and creates that classic bakery look.

Kitchen Tips

• The dough should be smooth and not sticky after kneading. If it clings to your hands, add flour a tablespoon at a time.
• Roll in small batches, keeping the rest covered so it doesn’t dry out. Dry dough cracks instead of stretching thin.
• Fry only a few at a time. Crowding drops the oil temperature and makes them greasy instead of crispy.
• These are best eaten the day they’re made. They soften overnight and lose their snap.

Variations

• Add a teaspoon of vanilla extract or a splash of rum to the dough for extra flavor.
• Cut a small slit in the center of each diamond and pull one end through for the traditional twisted shape.
• Drizzle with melted chocolate instead of powdered sugar for a modern take.