Pączki is a Polish pastry, not too far off from a doughnut. It’s deep fried dough filled with a cream or sweet jelly. They can be glazed or covered with a powdered sugar. They are typically eaten on Pączki Day in Poland, also known as Fat Tuesday, because their consumption was forbidden by the Catholic fasting practices during Lent. You’ll see celebrations of Pączki Day in US cities with large Polish populations like Buffalo, Detroit, and Chicago. Hamtramck, MI even has an annual Pączki Day parade!
So how can you celebrate Pączki day with your own treats? Well we have a great recipe right here. It turns out one secret to making these delicious treats is to add some grain alcohol to the batter which according to some prevents the dough from absorbing quite as much oil. We filled these pączkis with a custard filling, but if you’d prefer something more fruity, use 1 1/2 cups of your favorite preserves instead. Keep reading below for this recipe…
Pączki With Custard Filling
Ingredients
Pączki
1 1/2 cups plus 1/4 cup divided flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons yeast (instant or regular)
2/3 cup milk warmed to 120F for instant or 110F for regular yeast
3 tablespoon canola oil
2 egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon Bacardi 151 or higher alcohol liquor
2 quarts canola oil for frying
1 tablespoon melted butter
1/3 cup sugar for coating.
CUSTARD FILLING
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup milk
1 egg yolk.
