Happy Paczki Day!

And Also Fat  Tuesday!

Even though I have ancestors from

eastern Europe, including some from

Poland, I had never heard of the Paczki

until I moved to the American Mid-West.

A Paczki is a deep fried piece of dough with

a sweet filling, much like a jelly doughnut.

It can be glazed or covered with powdered

sugar.   In some areas of the USA paczki

are very popular, with people lining up

 outside bakeries to get theirs.  The paczki

has been in Poland since the Middle Ages.

Traditionally they were made to use up the

sugar, eggs and fruit before the Lenten fast

that begins on Ash Wednesday.