Paczki, pronounced pooch-kee not Paa-zick-kee is a deep fried dough that is filled with fruit preserves or sometimes a sweet custard, and then dusted in powdered or granulated sugar. Some say they are similar to a jelly donut – but don’t kid yourself. These are rich and will stop your heart with its butter, eggs, milk and rum… Comparing it to a donut is like saying the Colts actually put up a good fight… *ducks* (Tho if you were also part German like me… and that makes you supah cool - you could compare them to a Berliner…) In Poland, and here in Chicago, Paczki’s are typically eaten on Fat THURSDAY, the last Thursday before lent, and is associated with the start of Carnival. Of course here in Chicago we over indulge and chow down on Fat Tuesday or Shrove Tuesday as well. Traditionally, Paczkis were created to use up all of the fats, sugar, eggs and fruit in the house that you were forbidden to eat during the Catholic observance of fasting throughout Lent. Wow. Some of those years of Catholic school teachings have stuck… but yea none of the guilt…

This recipe that follows for traditional Paczki is not my mothers nor my busia’s or even something we made year after year. In truth, my mom just used to bundle me up and drag me down the block with her to the Laramie Bakery to STAND IN A VERY LONG LINE for a few dozen that were gone in a flash. But I have been making my own, adapted from a recipe that was adapted from a recipe that was adapted from a recipe… you get the point. They are yummy. And quite addictive.

Time to empty the pantry…

4 t active dry yeast
1/4 c warm water
1 t sugar
5 eggs
1 t salt
1/3 c butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
5 cups flour
1/3 cup rum
1 cup scalded whole milk or cream
1 1/2 c fruit preserves and / or custard

Oil or the traditional lard for deep frying.

Powdered and / or granulated sugar for dusting. Or you can make a glaze.

Get to work.

Mix the yeast, 1 t sugar and warm water together and let sit 10 minutes.

Beat the eggs with the salt till thick and creamy. Set aside.

Cream the butter and the sugar together. While your mixer is on medium, Add half the yeast. Then add the rum. If you already drank the rum, measure more rum and add. And then half the milk. Now add the rest of the yeast, and the rest of the milk. Sip more rum. When this is all incorporated, add half the flour and the eggs. Continue adding the remaining flour until the dough blisters. Drinks moar rums…

Cover and place in a warm spot. Allow to rise until doubled in size. Punch down and let rise again.

Roll out dough to a 1/2″ thickness. Cut into 3″ circles, and place on a baking sheet. Let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile in a large pot or dutch oven, heat oil to 375°. Fry for 2-3 minutes or until bottom is brown. Flip and fry 1-2 minutes longer. Remove from hot oil and drain on paper towels. When cool, utilize a pastry bag with a strong tip to pipe filling of choice into Paczki. Dust with powdered or granulated sugar or glaze.

Serve immediately. They do not keep well so eat as soon as possible. Not that you will have any left overs… but if you do freeze immediately. Once you make these you will want to make them year after year. Because if you don’t, your friends and family will disown you for being such a tease…

Good Luck. Good Cheer. May you live a hundred years.

How Santa even came to our house that year is beyond me.

Oh yea that’s right. He smelled the oh so delicate, fresh baked kolacki that my baby brother’s little hands ever so lovingly (HA! Right…) set out for him. Then I snuck him some Stoli and Case Dismissed! Put this girl BACK on the “Nice” list. But alas. I never stayed there for long.

Kolacki are Polish filled cookies that taste like little perfect bites of puff pastry with a touch of sweet filling. This filling can be cherry or cheese or apricot or plum or nut or blueberry… do I really need to keep gong here? You get the drift right? You can fill them with whatever your wittle ole tummy desires. Make your own filling, or buy it in a can. Solo makes some EXCELLENT fillings for Kolacki. I wouldn’t recommend them if I have not used them and been thrilled with them myself. I actually L O V E their cherry filling. And we already know, cherry is one of my favorites!

So gather ye goods!

1 8 oz block of cream cheese. (NOT neufchatel – Full fledged CREAM CHEESE. Please.)
1 1/3 cups of butter
2 T sugar
1 t vanilla
1 2/3 cups flour, sifted with 1/2 t baking powder
powdered sugar

Follow thee directions!

Beat cream cheese & butter until creamy. Blend in sugar & vanilla. Add flour / baking powder mixture slowly and mix till combined and a nice stiff dough has formed. Press into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for several hours – or overnight.

Preheat oven to °350.

Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to about 1/4″ thick. Now the next step you can go about a couple ways:

1) Cut into 3″ squares. Make a depression in the middle of the square with the back of a spoon or your finger or a billiard ball… and fill with about 1 t of your filling of choice. Take the opposite ends of the cookie and fold over filling, pinching the corners together. Bake for 10ish minutes

or

B) Using a 2.5″ biscuit cutter, cut out circles. Make depression in the dough using your fist or a beer bottle or your cats head… and fill with about 1 t of your filling of choice. Bake for 10ish minutes

I started out doing 1)… but we all remember my kitchen right? It is about °369 in there right now and the dough went in the oven too warm and the cookies opened and what do we do with a bunch of ugly cookies?

That is right boys and girls we EAT THEM.

gurgle…

SO I opted for B). And they look so pretty and yummy but hell no am I eating any more of these because I ate so many already I need to run about 27 miles to work it off.

But where was I… oh yea. Let them COMPLETELY cool. Then dust with powder sugar.

Then eat quickly, because once you put them out for guests. They will be gone.

Since this is my last post before Christmas, I would just like to take this opportunity to wish EVERYONE a very Happy and Jolly Holiday. Stay safe, enjoy your loved ones and eat till your hearts (or belly’s) content. And be sure to stay tuned for a very very festive post from my special guy, Jeff. I swear, he is SO FULL of holiday spirit why he could be Santa’s head elf! You do NOT want to miss it.