Žagarėliai (literally 'little twigs') are Lithuania's festive fried pastry — thin strips of dough, slit in the center, twisted through into a bow shape, and deep-fried until golden, then dusted with powdered sugar. Eaten at Christmas, Easter, and weddings, they are the Lithuanian cousin of Italian chiacchiere and Mexican buñuelos.
Žagarėliai (also called žagareliai, 'little twigs' in Lithuanian; sometimes called šžagos or grybai) are the traditional fried pastry of Lithuania, made for every festive occasion — Christmas, Easter, weddings, name days. They belong to the widespread European family of fried dough strips (Italian chiacchiere, French bugnes, Polish faworki, Austrian strauben), but in Lithuania they are distinctly shaped into twisted bows by pulling one end of the slit strip through the center. The dough is enriched with sour cream and egg yolks, which gives them a richer, more tender crumb than the simple flour-water versions in other countries.
A golden, crisp, twisted bow of fried dough, dusted thickly with powdered sugar. The texture is shatteringly crisp on the outside, slightly chewy within; the sour cream in the dough gives it a faint tang. Eat three, with coffee, on a Christmas morning.
The dough is enriched with sour cream and egg yolks (not just flour and water), which gives a richer, more tender result. It is rolled very thin (2-3 mm), cut into rectangles, each rectangle slit lengthwise in the center, and one end pulled through the slit to form the bow. The frying must be hot (180°C) and fast (1-2 minutes) so the pastry crisps without absorbing oil. Powdered sugar is dusted generously while still warm.
Variations
Some add a splash of vodka or brandy to the dough (for extra crispness); some drizzle with honey instead of powdered sugar; the shape varies by family.
On the Palate
Where Žagarėliai sits in the Lithuanian flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 8
How it's made
8 steps · 45 min active + 30 min waiting
- 140 min
Make dough: rub 250 g flour, 50 g butter, 2 egg yolks, 100 g sour cream, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp vodka, and a pinch of salt to a smooth dough.
- 230 min
Rest 30 minutes.
- 35 min
Roll the dough to 2-3 mm thick; cut into 5x10-cm rectangles.
- 45 min
Make a 5-cm lengthwise slit in the center of each rectangle.
- 55 min
Pull one end through the slit to form a twisted bow.
- 63 min
Heat oil to 180°C.
Watch outHold the oil at one-eighty — the bows should crisp and turn deep gold in a minute or two without drinking oil; drop the temp and they come out greasy.
- 78 min
Fry the bows in batches 1-2 minutes until deep gold.
- 82 min
Drain on paper; dust generously with powdered sugar.
