Fat Thursday was the saddest day when I lived in Ireland. Because in Ireland, they don’t really celebrate it. My friends and colleagues are eating donuts from morning till evening. Competing over who will eat the most. The bakeries sell donuts. It’s the silly, happy, no-pressure holiday, and I just missed those vibes. And I didn’t think about it back then, but now I know what I would do. I would invite my friends and colleagues to a Fat Thursday party. And we would fry donuts, angel wings, and maybe those lovely crullers or gniazdka, whatever you want to call them.
Those crullers were something I really loved growing up. I was buying them from a bakery near my school. I just love them. They are moist inside and crunchy on the outside, with a little bit of sweetness coming from that glaze. I just need to try it, and even if you’re not Polish, try celebrating on this Thursday, it’s the best holiday ever.
Chouxnuts / Gniazdka / Spanish doughnuts
These Polish choux pastry doughnuts are a must for Fat Thursday in Poland. They’re crisp on the outside, soft on the inside, and dangerously easy to eat!
Dough
- 200g (1 1/2 cups) all-purpose flour
- 100g (7 Tbsp) unsalted butter
- 250ml (1 cup + 2 teaspoons) water
- 4 eggs
- A pinch of salt
- Oil for frying
Glaze
- 200g (2 cups) icing sugar
- 3-4 Tsbp lemon juice
Dough
- Bring the water, butter, and a pinch of salt to a boil in a medium pot. Once it boils, reduce the heat and add the flour all at once. Stir quickly until the dough comes together, smooth and pulls away from the sides. Let it cool down for a few minutes.
- Transfer the dough to a mixing bowl and mix in the eggs one at a time until it’s smooth and glossy. Spoon the dough into a piping bag with a large star tip.
- Cut parchment paper into squares (about 4 inches / 10 cm) and lightly oil them. Pipe circles of dough (about 2½ to 3 inches / 6–7 cm in diameter) onto
- Heat the oil in a wide pot to around 350°F (180°C). Carefully place a few crullers into the oil with the paper side up—after about a minute, the paper will loosen and can be removed easily. Fry for 4–5 minutes on each side until golden and puffed.
- Remove from the oil and drain on paper towels.
Glaze
- For the glaze, mix powdered sugar with lemon juice until smooth. Drizzle or dip the warm crullers in the glaze and let them set.
Recipe adopted from Moje Wypieki
Magda's Cauldron 
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