For those of you have been reading the blog for a while, you may recall me mentioning my father's tradition of making donuts to celebrate the Feast of the Three Kings, a tradition he got from his mother. Dad would make a half dozen of the donuts without jelly inside and put a dime inside five and a quarter in the sixth. Whoever got the quarter was the "winner" for the day.
Unfortunately, Dad's recipe was lost when my brothers and I cleared out Mom and Dad's house. This year, I finally found a recipe that duplicates his. Thank you The Spruce Eats!
Traditional Polish Pączki
Prep: 35 mins ~ Cook: 18 mins ~ Rise Time: 2 hrs 15 minsIngredients
1/2 cups milk, warm, about 110 F
2 packages active dry yeast (4 1/2 teaspoons)
1 1/2 cups milk, warm, about 110F
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1 large egg, at room temperature
3 large egg yolks, at room temperature
1 teaspoon salt
4 1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour (about 20 1/4 ounces to 22 1/2 ounces)
1 gallon vegetable oil, for deep-frying
About 1/2 cup granulated sugar, for rolling, optional (Dad favored granulated sugar)
About 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, for rolling, optional
1 cup jam or fruit paste, for filling, optional
Directions
Add the yeast to the warm milk. Stir to dissolve and set aside.
In a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the sugar and butter until fluffy.
Beat in the egg, egg yolks, and salt until well incorporated.
Still using the paddle attachment, add 4 1/2 cups flour, alternating with the milk-yeast mixture. Beat for 5 or more minutes by machine or longer by hand until smooth. (Old-fashioned directions call for beating the dough with a wooden spoon until it blisters.) The dough will be very slack. If it's too soft, add the remaining 1/2 cup flour but no more.
Place the dough in a greased bowl. Turn to grease the other side.
Cover the top with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in bulk, anywhere from 1 to 2 1/2 hours.
Punch down and let rise again, about 45 minutes.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Pat or roll to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut rounds with a 3-inch biscuit cutter close together so you will have minimal scraps. Remove scraps and reroll and recut.
Cover the sheet with a damp towel and let rounds rise until doubled in bulk, 30 minutes or longer, before frying.
In a large skillet or Dutch oven (Dad used a deep fryer), heat oil to 350 F. Place the risen pączki top-side down (the dry side) in the oil a few at a time and fry 2 to 3 minutes or until the bottom is golden brown.
Flip them over and fry another 1 to 2 minutes or until golden brown. Make sure the oil doesn't get too hot so the exterior doesn't brown before the interior is done. Test a cool one to make sure it's cooked through. Adjust cooking time and oil heat accordingly.
Roll in granulated sugar while still warm. If you want to fill them, poke a hole in the side of the pączki and, using a pastry bag, squeeze in a generous dollop of the filling of choice. Then dust the filled pączki with granulated sugar, confectioners' sugar, or an icing glaze.
Pączki don't keep well, so for the best taste, be sure to gobble them up the same day you make them or else freeze them. Enjoy.
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Dad's recipe isn't all I have to share today. I also have a COVER REVEAL with a special Kindle only preorder. Some of you may have lent me a hand coming up with cover art in the Sweet Romance Reads Cafe on Facebook
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Complete opposites. Except, that is, when it comes to love.
Welcome to Paradox Lake (Book Four)
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