Bugia

⏱ 195 mins 🍽 60-72 bugia 🏷 Dessert

Bugia, sometimes called liar's cookies, are a traditional Polish dessert. The dough, flavoured with orange juice, brandy, vanilla and ground anise, is chilled, rolled very thin, and cut into strips. After deep-frying until golden, the warm cookies are generously dusted with powdered sugar twice for a classic snowy finish. This recipe yields between 60 and 72 pieces.

Bugia

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting work surface
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled briefly
  • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons brandy
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground anise seed
  • 4 -6 cups peanut oil or 4 -6 cups vegetable oil, for deep-frying
  • 2 cups powdered sugar, about

Method

  1. Sift the flour together with the baking powder, salt and sugar, then set this mixture aside.
  2. Combine the eggs, melted butter, orange juice, brandy, vanilla extract and ground anise seed in a stand mixer bowl fitted with a paddle attachment, mixing until well blended.
  3. Add all the dry ingredients at once and mix on a low speed until the dough pulls away from the bowl's sides and gathers on the paddle.
  4. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface.
  5. Knead the dough by hand until it becomes smooth.
  6. Shape the dough into a ball, flatten it slightly and place it into a bowl.
  7. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours or overnight to let it relax.
  8. Heat peanut or vegetable oil in a deep fryer or a deep pot to 350 degrees F.
  9. While the oil heats, divide the chilled dough into 4 or 6 equal pieces.
  10. With the dough and work surface well floured, run a piece of dough through the widest setting of a pasta machine 3 or 4 times.
  11. Continue to pass the dough through progressively narrower settings until it is nearly transparent. rolling by hand is also an option.
  12. Cut the thin dough into long strips measuring 3 inches wide, then cut these strips diagonally into pieces roughly 3 inches long.
  13. Trim away any torn dough and rework it back into the main batch.
  14. The cookies will curl during frying, so intricate shapes are unnecessary.
  15. As you cut the cookies, place them on baking sheets lined with flour-dusted tea towels and cover with more towels to prevent drying.
  16. Fry the cookies in batches, turning them once, until they are puffed and golden brown, which takes about 1 minute.
  17. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the fried cookies to paper towels to drain.
  18. While the cookies are still hot, coat them liberally with powdered sugar.
  19. Allow a few minutes for the oil and residual heat to absorb and melt much of this initial sugar layer.
  20. Apply a second, heavy dusting of powdered sugar until the cookies appear quite white.
  21. Store the finished cookies in an airtight container where they will keep for about a week.
  22. You might wish to give them another light dusting of sugar just before serving.

Nutrition (per serving)

Sodium15400 mg

Recipe details

CategoryDessert
AuthorElmotoo