What Are Paczki
These Paczki are the absolute best. I simply love them. I’ve been making them and eating them for years. They are popular around Mardi Gras which simply means Fat Tuesday. Fat Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday which is a day of preparation for the penitential season of Lent. Paczki are Polish deep-fried donuts that are filled with some sweet filling such as jam, custard, lemon curd or chocolate. They are usually covered with powdered sugar, icing, glaze or dried orange zest. They are simply and utterly delicious.
What’s the Difference Between Paczki and Donuts
Paczki are made of a very rich, sweet yeasty dough which consists of eggs, butter and milk. Regular donuts are not usually as rich. While donuts usually have a hole in the middle, Paczki don’t and instead are filled with jam or other goodies.
How to Make Paczki
My recipe for making Paczki couldn’t get any easier and it really is fool proof. To make the dough there are two simple steps. Mix the wet ingredients together, then add this to the flour and mix. Make sure your milk is lukewarm. I usually pop it in the microwave for about a minute. You don’t want the milk too hot because this will kill the yeast, so make sure it’s just warm to the touch. While you could knead this by hand, if you have a stand mixer, add the flour and the milk/egg mixture to the bowl of your mixer and using the dough hook mix until the dough comes clean from the sides of the bowl. The dough should be very malleable and soft. Place it in an oiled bowl then cover it with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let it rise until doubled in size. I usually place my bowl in a warm oven, this will speed up the rising process. On a floured surface start rolling the dough until it’s about 1/4 to 1/2 inch (1 cm) in thickness. This dough should make about a 16 donuts. Using a glass, or if you want a cookie cutter, start cutting out rounds from the dough. Repeat this with remaining dough until there’s no dough left. Place the donuts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and let them rise until doubled in size. Fry them in hot oil until they’re golden brown on both sides. Watch them carefully because they fry quickly. Place them in a bowl lined with paper towels and allow them to cool until you can easily handle them. All that’s left to do is to fill a piping bag with your favorite filling, fill them then sprinkle or roll them through some powdered sugar.
Different Fillings
That’s the great thing about Paczki. You can fill them with anything! I love filling mine with various jams such as seedless raspberry or strawberry. I’ve even filled them with Saskatoon berry jam, which is to die for. Other favorite fillings of mine include lemon and lime curds, custards, chocolate cream or Nutella. However, the sky’s the limit though, when it comes to Paczki. Did you know they make Pina Colada and Mocha Paczki, just to name a few! How about a chocolate Paczki!
Why Is Everyone Freaking Out About Paczki
Because they’re just that good! When I worked in Detroit, there wasn’t a Fat Tuesday that went by without someone bringing in a box of Paczki for everyone to enjoy! They’re so popular that Fat Tuesday is even sometimes referred to as Paczki Day! And what’s not to celebrate. We’re talking delectable fried treats filled with prune, jelly, lemon or lime curds, strawberry, raspberry, custards, chocolate, or Nutella! If you’ve never tries these before, I strongly urge you to give them a try.
Looking for More Donut Recipes? Try These:
Brioche Buns Mandazi, African Donuts Beignets Cherry Jam Filled Donuts Krispy Kreme Donuts
