Making perfect angel wings: Grandma's secrets for crispy treats
These days, we are often taken aback by the cost of angel wings in bakeries. They can be pretty expensive. Nonetheless, we purchased them because they appeared to be challenging to make. In the past, our grandmothers would fry them during the carnival season and regarded them as a straightforward dessert.
Angel wings are one of the favourite carnival treats. Like other sweet delicacies typical of this time, they are deep-fried to a golden hue. Angel wings should be characterised by exceptional crispiness, which is even alluded to in their other name, "chrust" (or "chruściki"). The biscuits should be crispy and delicate, like dried twigs. How can this effect be achieved?
Angel wings better than from the bakery
My grandmother used to fry angel wings at least several times during the carnival. She always followed her own rules, which resulted in biscuits that were incredibly delicate and crispy, with dough as thin as paper. I can't find such biscuits even in the best bakery today. Although the recipe for angel wings seems simple, making them requires precision and skill. It is worth frying them at least once a year because homemade ones always taste better than shop-bought ones.
How to make crunchy angel wings? Here are grandma's rules
- Be cautious with the cream. It's one of the ingredients of the angel wings dough. When kneading it, please don't add the whole portion at once; do it gradually. The dough should be elastic but not wet.
- Alcohol is a must. My grandmother would add spirit or vodka, but you could also use beer. Thanks to the alcohol, the dough is fluffier and crispier, and characteristic bubbles form on the surface of the angel wings.
- Intense beating with a rolling pin. After kneading the dough, it must be intensely pounded with a rolling pin. This technique isn't used for other types of dough, but it is essential for angel wings. This helps to aerate the dough, ensuring the chruściki will be light and exceptionally crunchy.
- Careful rolling. Tear off pieces from the prepared dough and roll them out as thinly as possible. It is challenging, but the dough should be as thin as paper. Cut out the angel wings with a knife or a unique pastry wheel.
- They mustn't dry out. Cover the prepared biscuits with a cloth before starting to fry them. The thin and delicate dough dries out very quickly; if that happens, it will no longer be crunchy.
- Lard or oil? My grandmother was always a proponent of lard. Nowadays, culinary experts emphasize that angel wings prepared with this fat are crunchier. However, using lard alone is not enough. Its temperature must be high, approximately 180 degrees Celsius.
- No rush. Add only a few angel wings to the pot at a time. Not only because they expand, but when there are fewer, they cook evenly, and the temperature of the fat doesn't drop. Angel wings fry very quickly; you only need to turn them over during the process.
- Powdering with aroma. Placing the cookies on a paper towel to drain the excess fat is best. While they are still warm, generously sprinkle them with icing sugar. To enhance their aroma even more, mix it with fine vanilla sugar.
