RECIPE: Accept no substitutes; these Polish paczkis are the real deal

on February 04, 2013 at 9:55 AM, updated February 05, 2013 at 10:36 AM

For as long as I can remember, Fat Tuesday was known as paczki (pronounced “poonch-ki”) day. As any Catholic knows, Fat Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent and fasting period before Easter. Well, growing up Polish, we celebrated by eating paczki.

You might be wondering, “What are paczki?”

Well, they’re kind of like jelly doughnuts, except that they are made from an especially rich dough containing eggs, fats, sugar and milk. They usually have some sort of fruit or cream filling and are coated in sugar, however, if you ask any Polish person, it’s not a real paczki unless it has prune filling.

Now, the whole reason that paczki were originally made for Fat Tuesday was to use up the lard, sugar, eggs and fruit in the house, because their consumption was forbidden by the Catholic Church during Lent. Paczki have been known in Poland since at least the Middle Ages during the reign of August III.

Paczki have been known to me for as long as I can remember, and every year my dad and I get together and make his grandmother Lottie Matuciewicz’s paczki recipe. When we make them, my dad tells me stories of going to his grandmother’s house and leaving with bags of paczki.

This year, I’m sharing this recipe with you. I’m also throwing in some filling recipes in as well, but remember, it’s not a paczki unless it has prunes!
PACZKI (makes approximately 8 dozen)

2 cups milk
1 stick unsalted butter
1 tablespoon salt
1½ cups sugar
7 egg yolks
1 egg
4 packs yeast
Zest and juice of 1 orange
9 to 10 cups flour
Prunes (optional)
Raisins (optional)
Sugar as needed for coating

 In one cup of warm water, mix yeast with a pinch of sugar and salt.
 Scald the milk; add butter. Pour over sugar and salt.
 Add about 4 cups of flour, then yeast mixture.
 Beat egg and egg yolks very well, mix in zest and juice of orange. Add to flour mixture.
 Add more flour, 1 cup at a time, until spongy.
 Let rise in a large greased bowl until double in bulk.
 Punch dough and form paczki into dough balls or roll out, ½-inch thick, and cut with a 3-inch biscuit cutter. Fill with prunes or roll in raisins if desired.
 Let rise again until double in bulk.
 Deep fry in lard or peanut oil at 350 degrees until brown.
 Toss in sugar.
 If prunes were not used, fill paczki with desired filling with a piping bag.


2 pounds apples, peeled, cored, and diced
2 tablespoons butter
½ cup sugar
¼ cup water
3½ tablespoons cornstarch
½ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons lemon juice
½ tablespoon butter

 1. Sauté the apples lightly in the first quantity of butter until they are slightly softened.
2. Add the first quantity of sugar as apples cook.
3. Mix water and starch until smooth. Add starch mixture to the apples and boil until the liquid is thick and clear.
4. Remove from heat. Add the remaining ingredients. Stir gently until the sugar is dissolved and butter is melted.
5. Cool completely.


1½ cups pitted prunes, lightly packed
2/3 cup water
1 teaspoon lemon zest
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/3 cup brown sugar
1. Simmer all ingredients except brown sugar, covered for 25 to 30 minutes until very soft and most of the water is evaporated.
2. Uncover last few minutes if necessary.
3. Remove from heat and mash.
4. Stir in brown sugar.


1 quart milk
½ cup sugar
4 egg yolks
2 eggs
½ cup cornstarch
½ cup sugar
½ stick butter
1 tablespoon vanilla

1. In a heavy saucepan, dissolve the sugar in the milk and bring just to a boil.
2. With a whip, beat the eggs and egg yolks in a stainless steel bowl.
3. Sift the cornstarch and sugar into the eggs. Beat with the whip until perfectly smooth.
7. Stir in the butter and vanilla. Mix until butter is melted and completely blended in.
8. Pour into a clean, shallow pan. Dust lightly with sugar and cover with wax paper. Cool and chill as quickly as possible.
9. Whip until smooth before using.