For those that may be caught unaware, today is Pączki Day! It is also known as Shrove Tuesday, Fat Tuesday, and Mardi Gras, to name a few more familiar names. So why am I calling it Pączki Day? Well, as a native Michigander, I grew up with Pączki in every bakery and convenience store (oh, QD how I miss you) this time of year.
Pączki are Polish doughnuts. Pączek is the singular form, and Pączki is plural. Growing up, we always ate Pączki, and on every occasion, ate more than one. If you haven’t had the pleasure of enjoying a Pączki, the closest cousin is a Bismark or Jelly-Filled Doughnut. Truly a Pączki is in its own class. The dough itself is more luxurious and more decadent than that of a typical doughnut.
Fat Tuesday, Pączki Day, and Mardi Gras are typically celebrated as the last day of indulgence before Lent begins. Pączki were created as a way to use up the rich, decadent ingredients from the pantry so it wouldn’t go to waste (and if the ingredients were shelf-stable for 40 days, I suppose to also reduce temptation. Fat, Sugar, Brandy, Egg Yolks, and a Sweet Filling give some heft to these incredible treats.
A few years ago, when I had just gotten out of the Army, I was craving Pączki and knew I wasn’t going to find them in Brunswick County, VA. I decided it was time to learn how to make them and stumbled across an excellent recipe for Baked Pączki over at Jenny Can Cook. It was my first attempt at making Pączki, and I felt more comfortable baking them than frying them.
I followed the instructions to the point of shaking the warm doughnut that has just been brushed with butter in a bag of sugar. I did that once and thought it was too much sugar. Granted, it had been YEARS since I had eaten a Pączek, so I may have misremembered, but I opted to sprinkle the sugar over the tops of the remaining doughnuts.
They were delicious. Light but rich. I filled the freshly baked doughnuts with Strawberry Jam. It was an excellent day! Since then, I have baked Pączki every year. I share them with neighbors and bring lots into my office to spread the love of Pączki in Richmond.
This year, with the launch of my business, I decided to go “WILD’. I made my recipe a little more authentic. (Jenny’s recipe doesn’t call for any Brandy). My Grandma Nancy reminds me EVERY year that authentic Pączki have Brandy in them. I’ve also seen recipes that suggest using Rum as a substitute. I don’t currently have any Brady in my liquor cabinet, but I live in the South and have a wide assortment of Bourbon.
I also decided to bake a batch and fry a batch (which turned into frying two batches). Y’all, I am beyond freaking excited I decided to fry them. I love the healthier baked version. They are delightful. (I calculated the calories one year, and they averaged 125-140 calories depending on the filling). I am not going to bother figuring out how to calculate the calorie count on the fried doughnuts. They are worth every calorie. They were easy to fry. It wasn’t as messy as I had anticipated. They puffed and got so light and fluffy. I felt like I was biting into a cloud! Also, the telltale light middle ring of a Pączki was much more prominent in the fried version. I’m not sure I can go back.
Goodies all blessed up to share with my coworkers! (Some got snagged before I could take photos)
I also recently learned Pączki are also eaten in the U.S. on Casimir Pulaski Day. Casimir Pulaski was born in Poland and was an American Revolutionary War hero. He has been dubbed “the father of the American cavalry.” (Celebrated the First Monday in March). I’ve already looked ahead at the Calendar for next year, and Fat Tuesday is only 5 days after Valentine’s Day. I may be celebrating Casimir Pulaski Day in 2021! 😍