Cooking Connection is a Journal-World feature that prints favorite reader recipes. This week’s featured cook is Krystyna Hilding, of Lawrence, with her recipe for Babci’s Chrusciki.

Why it’s special: “The recipe for chrusciki comes from my deep Polish heritage. My mother and I always make these incredible delicacies together, and I treasure those baking times with her. The ‘bow-ties’ are very light and flaky and combine wonderfully well with milk, tea or coffee. Of all the Polish desserts we make, this is my absolute favorite. The more 10x sugar on them, the better, too!”

Babci’s chrusciki

5 egg yolks

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon vinegar

2 tablespoons rum or rum extract

2 tablespoons sweet cream

1 1/2 cups flour

10x sugar

Oil for frying

Mix the sugar and butter first, then add egg yolks and mix until well blended. Add heavy cream, rum and vinegar. Add flour a little at a time to the mixture. Cool in refrigerator for 10 minutes.

Roll out dough to 1/8-inch thick. Cut into 2-by-6-inch strips. Slit each strip in middle and pull one end through each side. Drop the dough into hot oil in soup or pasta pot large enough to hold oil deep enough for dough to float in. Lightly brown, turning once to brown both sides. Remove with slotted spoon or tongs and drain on paper towels. Cool, and sprinkle with 10x sugar.