Paczki Are Back!

Yes, it is that time of year again when the

Paczki are in the bakery departments of 

our local grocery stores.  Paczki are a Polish

tradition and are eaten on Fat Tuesday, the

day before Ash Wednesday when you were

supposed to use up all the sugar, butter and 

lard and eat it all up before beginning your

Lenten fast.  

Now, I am part Polish and I grew up near

Polish communities on the east coast but I

confess I had never heard of these until I

moved to the Midwest.  They taste to me 

just like a rich jelly donut. I think I have

only had the grocery store variety.  I have

been lucky to sample the baking delights 

of many a Polish Babcia and I'll bet their

paczki are very fine.  But sometime before

Fat Tuesday I'm sure I'll sample one as

a tribute to my Polish ancestors.

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.