Pączki (Polish Doughnuts) - Two ways

[PrisonerOfHope]

These are traditionally served on Fat Tuesday, but when I was growing up we'd get them at the bakery every Sunday.  Since we don't mourn Tammuz (i.e., observe Lent), you can make them any time. Here are two recipes; the first is for baked Pączki, and the second is for the traditional fried.


Pączki (Polish Doughnuts)




Paczki are traditionally fried but they don’t have to be. Mine are oven-baked and delicious. Paczki are usually filled with jam but you can also use lemon curd, chocolate pudding, or custard. It's best to have the egg yolks & oil at room temperature and be sure to aerate your flour before measuring. 


Prep Time: 30 minutes



Cook Time: 10 minutes



Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes



Makes: 12





Ingredients:



1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons (1 packet = 7 grams) yeast (instant or regular)

2/3 cup 1% milk – warmed to 120°F for instant/110°F for regular yeast

3 Tablespoons oil (canola or extra light olive oil)

2 egg yolks

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

about 1/4 cup extra flour



1 Tablespoon melted butter

1/3 cup sugar for coating
1 cup jam, custard, or filling of choice

Instructions:



Place flour, sugar, salt, & yeast in large bowl.


Stir in warm milk, followed by oil, egg yolks & vanilla.


With electric mixer, beat for 2 minutes on high speed.


Stir in enough flour until the dough holds together.


Place dough on a floured surface and knead 50 turns, cover with plastic and let rest 10 min.


If using custard filling, make it now so it can cool. (see recipe below)


Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.


On a floured surface, roll dough 1/2-inch thick. Cut circles using a 2 1/2 -inch round cutter, dipped in flour. Re-roll scraps.


Place mounds on baking sheet, cover with a towel, and let rise in a warm spot about 45 minutes. (1 hour at room temp.) After 30 minutes, preheat oven to 375° F.


When paczki are puffy, but not necessarily doubled in size, bake for 10 minutes.


Meantime, melt  butter and place 1/3 cup sugar in a plastic produce bag, and lay down some wax paper to save cleanup.


Remove paczki immediately from pan to wax paper. Brush each one while warm (top & sides) with melted butter and roll in bag to coat with sugar. Shake off excess.


Fill using a pastry bag with a long slender tip, pushing into the side. Serve immediately.


Custard Filling:


In a small saucepan, combine 1/4 cup sugar + 1 Tablespoon cornstarch. Slowly stir in 1 cup 1% milk + 1 egg yolk. Bring to a boil & cook about a minute, stirring constantly, until thickened. (it thickens more as it cools) Transfer to a plate and let it stand, undisturbed, to cool thoroughly before using - refrigerate if necessary.

Fill paczki with filling using a pastry bag with a long slender tip, pushing into the side. Or slice an opening in the side and insert filling with a spoon. Serve immediately.

Note: If using a pastry bag, choose a smooth jam and not one with pieces of fruit as they can clog the tip.



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[PrisonerOfHope]

Test Kitchen recipe: Jelly-filled Paczki





Jelly-filled Paczki



Makes: 4 dozen / Preparation time: 30 minutes



Total time: 1 hour 30 minutes (plus 4 hours rising time)



Ingredients



■1 1/2 cups milk



■2 packages ( 1/4 ounce each) active dry yeast



■1/2 cup sugar



■1/2 cup butter or margarine plus 3 tablespoons for greasing hands and baking sheet



■3 egg yolks



■1 egg



■1 teaspoon salt



■1 teaspoon vanilla extract



■1/2 teaspoon nutmeg



■4 1/2 cup flour



■5 pounds solid shortening for deep fryer



■2 jars (10 to 12 oz each) strawberry, plum or raspberry preserves or some of each



■1/2 cup cinnamon sugar or 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar for sprinkling



Directions



In a small saucepan heat the milk until bubbles form on the side but just short of boiling. Remove from heat and let cool to 105-115 degrees (lukewarm to the touch). Put yeast into warm milk, let it dissolve and set aside. In a large bowl, beat sugar and butter until fluffy. Beat in egg yolks and egg, salt, vanilla and nutmeg. Add flour and milk alternately and gradually, beating well until everything is evenly incorporated.



Let rise in warm place, covered with clean towel, until dough doubles in bulk, about two to three hours. Butter your hands and grease the baking sheets with the three tablespoons of butter, setting aside some of the butter to re-grease your hands and a spatula.



Break dough into silver-dollar size smooth rounds, place on baking sheet and let rise again, uncovered, in a warm place for about one hour. Melt shortening in deep fryer and heat to 350 degrees.



Use remaining butter to grease a spatula and carefully take the paczek off the sheet and drop into the deep fryer, about six at a time, depending on size of deep fryer. Fry about two minutes, then turn and fry another two minutes, until golden. Remove with deep fryer basket or slotted spoon onto paper towels. When slightly cool, fill a pastry bag with preserves and use a plain round tip, such as No. 6, to pipe the filling into each paczek, one to 1 1/2teaspoons per paczek, using the tip to break the side of the paczek and gently filling the center without crushing the paczek. (If you don't have a pastry bag, use a knife to cut a small slit in the side and spoon the preserves inside carefully.) Roll or sprinkle in confectioners' sugar or cinnamon sugar. Makes about four dozen.



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