Instructions: Melt the butter, and combine with eggs, egg yolks, granulated sugar, salt, extracts, vinegar, rum, and sour cream in a large, heavy mixer. Using the paddle attachment, beat on medium-high until lemon-colored. Add citrus rinds. Gradually add enough flour to produce a fairly stiff dough. Turn out onto a floured board, and knead for 8 to 10 minutes, adding flour if necessary, until the dough blisters, becomes elastic, and can be handled easily. Cut the dough in half, and wrap one half with plastic wrap; reserve at room temperature. Roll 1/2 of dough very, very thin and cut into strips about 4 inches long and 1 1/4 inches wide. Cut the ends on a diagonal. Slit each piece in the center, and pull one end through the slit. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and cover with a towel to keep moist. Repeat with other half of dough.

Heat the shortening in a cast-iron frying pan to 375 degrees, and fry the dough strips, a few at a time, for about 1 minute, until lightly browned, turning once with a long fork or tongs. Drain chrusciki on brown paper bags; transfer to a cooling rack and sprinkle with confectioners sugar. Store, tightly covered, in wax-paper-lined tins.

Makes about 7 dozen cookies.

Comments:
This recipe makes an enormous quantity, so it can be halved if you wish, but do not divide the orange, lemon, and vanilla extracts.

Loosely translated, chrusciki means "cookie" in Polish. Known as angels wings or bow ties in North America and chiacchiere in Italy, these sugar-dusted sweets are associated with the pre-Lenten carnival in Poland; in the U.S., they are served at Polish-American weddings and other festivities.

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