If you haven’t had the opportunity to celebrate Polish Fat Thursday or, as it is also known, Paczki Day, then you are missing out! Paczki are a type of Polish donut that only comes around once per year and are a must-have treat for those who love sweets. No worries, this Polish Paczki Recipe will allow you to have “Paczki Day” every day if you want to.
What is Polish Paczki?
Polish Paczki is almost the same as donuts. They are made from fried dough and filled with different fruits or custard fillings. Then they are coated with sugar.
Paczki is made with a rich dough that contains yeast, eggs, sugar, and fats. So, they are thicker and heavier than regular donuts, which reflects its taste and texture.
You can fill your Packzi with your favorite fruit or cream fillings. You can glaze them or cover them with granulated sugar or powdered.
The most popular fillings in Poland are stewed plum jam and wild rosehip jelly, but you can also use other fillings such as cranberry, blueberry, strawberry, prune, or simply use custard.
Polish Paczki Recipe
Our Polish Paczki Recipe gives you all of the information you need to make these delicious treats.
I love to make them because they are so easy and you can make them in advance and freeze them. Once you thaw them, you can stick them in the refrigerator and they will be ready to eat when your guests arrive. So if you are looking for a tasty treat for Fat Thursday, these are a must!
FAQs about Paczki
Is Paczki the same as a Donut?
The basic ingredients used in donuts are flour, eggs and milk. The closest to this recipe is a jelly donut, but this Polish Paczki is so much more.
Yeast is used along with butter and eggs in the making of paczki, so they are thicker and therefore, richer than regular donuts.
When is Paczki eaten traditionally?
In Poland, on the last Thursday before Lent, paczki are eaten. This tradition came to be in Poland because they want to use up all the ingredients, like sugar, eggs, and fruit, and enjoy good and a bit unhealthy food before the beginning of the fast.
In America, they are available on Fat Tuesday. It is also enjoyed as a dessert among Polish folk who are keeping up with the tradition.
Which fruit filling is best for Paczki?
You can use any filling you like but are recommendations include lemon curd, strawberry jam, blueberry jam, sweet cream or plum jam.
Can I bake Paczki?
Yes, you may bake them but fried paczki are better in taste. Bake them at 350 F for 10 – 12 minutes.
Is it appropriate to freeze paczki?
If you want the best taste, eat them fresh. If you want to freeze them, use an airtight box lined with butter paper between layers. Storage life is three months. Before you serve them later, reheat them.
We hope you enjoyed the recipe. Please leave us a comment and let us know how you liked this Paczki recipe.
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Original Polish Paczki Recipe
Preparation Time: 25 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 12 paczki
Ingredients
- Instant Yeast – 4 1/2 tsp
- Whole milk – 1 cup
- Egg yolks – 2
- Granulated White Sugar – ¼ cup
- Melted Butter – 2 tbsp
- Vanilla – ½ tsp
- Salt – ½ tsp
- All-purpose flour – 3 to 3 ½ cups
- Oil for frying
- White Granulated Sugar – For dusting after frying
- Jam or custard – for filling
Instructions
- Prepare the Yeast Mixture:
- Heat milk in a saucepan until it’s warm, not boiling.
- In a bowl, dissolve yeast in lukewarm milk, add a cup of flour, and mix. Let it sit for 30 minutes until bubbly.
- Make the Dough:
- Beat egg yolks separately.
- In the yeast mixture, stir in butter, sugar, salt, and vanilla extract. Add beaten egg yolks.
- Gradually add flour, mixing until a soft, non-sticky dough forms.
- Knead the dough on a countertop, form a ball, place it in a greased bowl, cover, and let it rise in a warm place for over an hour.
- Shape and Proof Paczki:
- Roll out the dough on a cutting board.
- Cut out circles using a 3-inch cookie cutter and place them on a baking sheet.
- Cover and let them rise for 30 minutes.
- Cooking:
- Heat oil in a frying pan to 360°F.
- Fry paczki in batches (3 at a time) until golden on all sides.
- Transfer to a cooling rack, dust with sugar, and allow to cool.
- Filling:
- Once cooled, make a small hole in each paczki.
- Fill with jelly or custard using a pastry bag.
Air-Fryer Method
To adapt the Polish Paczki recipe for an air fryer, follow these steps after preparing the dough as per the recipe:
- Preheat your air fryer to 350°F (175°C).
- Place the prepared dough balls in the air fryer basket. Ensure they are not touching to allow even cooking.
- Cook for about 5-6 minutes, then gently turn each paczki and continue cooking for another 5-6 minutes or until they are golden brown and cooked through.
- Once done, remove from the air fryer and let them cool slightly.
- Proceed with the coating or filling as per the original recipe instructions.
Tips & Tricks
- Paczki with granulated sugar dustings are perfect to go. I prefer the sugary crunches but you may try icing sugar and milk. You can enjoy it either way, they are delicious.
- Fresh paczki are perfect to eat on the same day but if you want, you can freeze them. No deep fryer is needed. If you are using a deep fryer then keep checking the temperature and stay careful. In case, the temperature is high, the Paczki will not cook from inside and if the temperature is low, it will absorb more oil.
- Coat granulated sugar when paczki are hot, so it sticks to the sugar. If you are using icing sugar, then let them cool more. It is because icing sugar may dissolve, so add before serving.
- Using a deep fryer and controlling the temperature is tiresome. It may create a mess.
Nutrition Values
Per each paczki, you will get 190 kcal of calories, 33 grams of carbs, 1 gram of fiber, and 1.8 mg of iron.
Conclusion
I hope you’ve liked this Polish Paczki recipe! You know I love making Polish recipes, so I highly recommend you try this Polish Cabbage Pierogi. Oh and if you have any questions or suggestions about this Paczki Recipe, feel free to comment down below. Thank you!
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