Bowties (chrusti) (patty smith), part 2

3 servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
2½ cup Flour
½ cup Sugar
½ teaspoon Salt
2 tablespoons Butter (or shortening)
2 teaspoons Vanilla
3 To 5 eggs
Hot fat at 375 degrees
Powdered sugar

Directions

Chrusti -- Lover's Knots (Grandma Sheila) Sift the flour, sugar and salt together. Cut in butter. Add vanilla to 3 eggs and beat until light and frothy. Mix into the flour. Beat additional egg or eggs until frothy and add if needed to make the dough easily handled. Knead on lightly floured board for 3 minutes.

Roll dough about ⅛ inch thich and cut with floured knife into strips 1½ inches wide and 4 inches long. Make slash 1 inch long in center of each piece. Lift and carefully slip one end through the slit. This forms the knot.

Drop the knots carefully into deep fat being careful not to crowd them. Fry until they are light golden brown on one side, turn and fry on other side. (They are done when fork inserted comes out clean).

Remove, drain on paper towel. When cool, toss in a bag with powdered sugar.

Makes about 3 dozen

From A World of Good Eating

**************************************************************** From Patty Smith:

Here is another Bowtie Cookie recipe that I found in a magazine and the picture sure looks good. It appeared in Family Circle 12/06/83.

It doesn't have shortening in it. It adds extra vanilla and grated lemon rind which probably make this cookie a bit zippier than the other version I posted.

Crispy Bowtie Cookies

2 eggs 2 Tbsp sugar 2 c sifted flour 2 Tbsp vanilla 1 tsp grated lemon rind Oil for frying Powdered sugar Beat together the eggs and sugar in a medium size bowl until the mixture is light and fluffy. Stir in 1 ½ c of the flour, the vanilla and lemon rind until blended. Shape into a ball. Turn the dough out onto lightly floured surface. Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes; add as much of the remaining flour as necessary to prevent sticking. Cover with plastic wrap. Let rest 5 minutes.

Divide dough into 4 equal portions. Roll ¼ of the dough to ⅛ inch thickness. Keep remaining dough covered with plastic wrap while working with the one fourth. Cut into 5 x 1 ½ inch strips with pastry wheel or pizza cutter. Make a lenghwise slit about 1 inch long in center of each strip. Pull one end through the slit to make a bowtie. As you work, keep bowties covered with plastic wrap. Repeat with remaining dough.

Pour oil into large saucepan or Dutch oven to a depth of 4 inches.

Heat oil until it registers 375 degrees on a deep fat frying thermometer, or until a 1 inch cube of white bread turns golden brown in about 50 seconds. Transfer 3 or 4 cookies to the hot oil with metal spatula. Fry cookies for a total of 3 minutes or until golden brown, turning once. Drain on paper toweling; cool. Keep unfried bowties covered with plastic wrap. Fry remaining cookies. Store in tightly covered container. Sprinkle with powdered sugar just before serving.

Makes about 2 dozen

I made the other version last week and I found refrigerating the dough as the recipe stated hard to roll out to a thin layer. Plus we liked the cookies that were thinner...they were crispier. I am going to try this recipe soon as I think my family will like the extra vanilla flavor with the hint of lemon. Hope you enjoy them.

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