I love when I do research for blog entries and a word pops up that I have no idea what it will lead to, just like today! Unless you’re Polish or from Chicago or Eastern Europe, you probably have no idea what a pączki is, or how to pronounce it. Heck, even Chicagoans don’t know exactly how to say it, but it’s pown(as in “own”)ch-key. Very fun to say. But what is it? It’s simply a jelly filled donut, typically topped with sugar icing and bits of orange. I’m not a huge fan of jelly-filled donuts, but FRESH jelly-filled donuts are pretty damn amazing. Traditionally, pączki are typically made on Fat Tuesday when you have to use up all your eggs and lard, and sugar (if you’re sacrificing that as well) prior to lent starting. So, why am I making them today if it’s definitely not Fat Tuesday? Because the website I referred to was based off of 2021! Oh well, I’ll forget this mistake as soon as I pop another pączki in my pie hole. So, now you’ll be ready for Fat Tuesday, which is only 2 weeks away, on March 1!
Pączki
¼ cup warm milk ~115 degrees
1 tsp dry yeast
3 tbsp sugar
1 egg + 1 yolk
3 tbsp sour cream
¼ tsp vanilla
Zest of 1 small orange
~2 cups AP flour
¼ tsp salt
2” round biscuit cutter
½ cup (or more) jelly
Frying oil (or lard)
Confectioner’s sugar
Warm the milk over medium heat and pour into a measuring cup for an exact measurement. Sprinkle the yeast and 1 tsp of the sugar over the milk. Set aside until foamy, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile measure out all of your ingredients, except for the jelly, and zest your orange.
Crack your eggs into a bowl of a stand mixer and pour the remaining sugar on top. Place the bowl on the mixer, fitted with the paddle, and cream the eggs and sugar for a few minutes.
While the eggs are creaming, measure out 1 ⅔ cups of flour and place in a small bowl with the salt.
When the eggs and sugar have fully mixed and lightened in color, add in the sour cream, vanilla, orange zest, and yeast mixture. When thoroughly combined, slowly add the flour/salt mix. Continue mixing for about 5 minutes. If the dough seems very sticky add a tablespoon or 2 of more flour (this was the case for me).
After about 5 minutes the dough will transform into a smooth and tacky substance. Oil up a bowl, and your hands, and transfer the dough into the oiled bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, heat your oil to 365 degrees. And lightly flour a work surface, the dough ball, and a rolling pin. Roll the dough out to between ¼-½ inch thickness. Using the biscuit cutter, portion out the dough. Re-roll the remnants and cut out more rounds. Roll up any remaining dough into small, chestnut-sized, balls.
When the oil is ready, drop a few dough rounds into the oil and fry for about 40 seconds per side. Remove to a cooling rack set over a baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough.
While the pączki cool, spoon jelly into a pastry bag with a round tip (or a large ziplock bag). If you are using preserves, like Bonne Maman, you’ll need to press the preserves through a fine-mesh strainer first, otherwise the seeds will hold up any jelly making it out of the pastry tip.
When the jelly is ready and the doughnuts have cooled a few minutes. Jam the tip into the doughnut and squeeze in about a teaspoon of jelly. Dust with confectioner’s sugar and serve.
______________________________ Copyright 2022, Brendan McCann, All Rights Reserved.
Comments