This past week we celebrated the last day of Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday. Growing up in a Polish household that always meant making and eating lots of pączki starting the Thursday before. Pączki, pronounced poounch-key, are deep fried doughnuts filled with jelly or custard usually topped with either powered sugar or glazed. Traditionally, these and other baked goods are made before the start of Lent because food supplies – like eggs, fats and sugar needed to be used up before abstaining from them during the Lenten season. This is why pączki are so rich, dense and delicious. Bakeries sell thousands in the weeks leading up to Lent and cities like Chicago have pączki festivals, with parades and eating contests. There are many pączki recipes online (my favorite are the plum ones) and they are fairly simple to make, if you’re comfortable deep frying.
Yummy!
I want one!
I was excited when I saw this announcement on the scroller. I had thought DFCI was selling paczki!!!
MK Murray – That made me laugh!
Agnes – Maybe a side business. Talk to David. He has all kinds of side business ideas. 🙂
These look delicious!!! Maybe post Lent, I’ll give them a try (or tell my husband to try since he’s the baker in the house)!
Dziekuje (Thank you) Agnes! This year, to my amazement, I found a box of 4 paczki at Stop & Shop just before Fat Thursday! In my native Poland on Fat Thursday people eat at least 3 of those (usually more) and all are consumed on that one day! 🙂
Thank you for the fun posting. Locally,you can get find them at the Coffee Time Bakery in Salem. Also, any bakery on Milwaukee’s south side! Smaczny!
Ah, thank you Agnes. You’ve stirred up many Pączki memories. My mother made several hundred at a time. To set them out to raise required all the available cupboard and table space so she pulled out the ironing board to set out more. Plum filling was the most requested!