D. A.'Dutch' Martinich wrote:

> I didn't include this in the thread because I really don't know how
> long they will keep. We used to keep them for a few days in a last
> year's fruit cake tin, but I don't know about a month. This is from
> my grandmother's family from Dalmatia, Croatia.
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> Hrstule- pronounced hurst'-uh-lay

And in Northern Italy, they're called "crostoli" pronounced=20
crohs-toe-lee which sounds sure enough like some of the same roots=20
showing.

Instead of tying them in knots, my grandmother would cut the strips as=20
described (but maybe 1 1/2 inches wide and 6 long), and then make a=20
further cut lengthwise in the center about 2 inches long and tuck one=20
end through the hole to make a kind of ribbony-looking thing. Fried in=20
vegetable oil rather than olive oil at 350=B0F. Little confectioners'=20
sugar and OOO mama.

I have no idea how long they'd last because they never lasted long=20
enough to get stale.

Pastorio

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> 4 eggs
> 4 half eggshells of sugar
> 3/4 tsp. salt
> 3 cups flour (all purpose)
> 4 Tbs. olive oil
> 1 tsp. vanilla extract
> 3 Tbs. brandy or rum
> anise liqueur or anise flavoring to taste.
> Olive oil for deep frying- this can be cheap, refined olive oil like
> Star or Bertolli
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> Break eggs into bowl, reserving one eggshell half (fat end) with which
> to measure sugar. Add rest of ingredients and mix into a consistent
> dough. Have ready a floured board or marble. Take a small portion at
> a time and roll out until the dough is thin enough to read newspaper
> headlines through it. Take a ravioli cutting wheel and cut strips 1
> inch wide and 9 incheslong. Tie strips into an overhand knot (like a
> pretzel) and deep fry a few at a time. Don't let the olive oil heat
> to smoking. Fry to a light yellow-tan; don't brown. Electric frying
> pans work well for this. Let cool. Sprinkle with sugar.
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> This should be enough for the usual large family Christmas gathering.
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> Sretan Bozic (Merry Christmas)
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> D.M.