Polish Pastries for Your Sweet Tooth

Polish Pastries

With all the changes over the last few months, not eating out was one of those new realities we had to get used to in our family. Our occasional weekend trips to the donut shop was one of those. So to satisfy our sweet tooth cravings, I pulled out a Polish donut recipe that never fails.

Paczki: The Polish Donut

I love jelly donuts, but having the ability to fill them with any flavor my heart desires is even better. I think that’s why I have so much fun making these little deep-fried treats. I’ve made them with strawberry jelly, cherry pie filling, nutella, and even our favorite frosting flavors. The possibilities are endless.

These Polish donuts are made from a sweet dough that is very simple to make. After a couple hours of letting it rise, you’ll have a batch of tasty treats rolled in heavenly powdered sugar in no time.

What You’ll Need:

Ingredients:

• 2 large eggs
• 2 tbsp softened butter
• 1/2 cup slightly warmed milk
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp instant yeast
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp butter, softened
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• filling of choice (strawberry jelly was used in this batch)
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• vegetable oil

Preparation:

1. In a bowl, mix together the milk, butter, eggs vanilla extract, salt, sugar, and yeast.
2. In your mixer, add your flour, then pour in mixed ingredients.
3. Mix with your dough hook until the dough is smooth and no longer sticks to the sides of your bowl.
4. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface for a minute or two.
5. Place the dough in a bowl and cover for 2 hours to allow time to rise.
6. Once the dough has become twice the original size, lightly flour a rolling surface. Roll out your dough (I like mine almost 1/4 inch thick, or so).
7. Using a cookie cutter or small glass, cut out approximately 12 donuts.
8. Place the dough cuts on a cookie sheet or parchment paper and allow it to rise for 25 minutes.
9. In a frying pan, pour in enough oil for your dough to float (roughly 3-4 inches). You will want your oil to reach 350 degrees so your dough will be a beautiful golden brown in minutes.
10. Depending on the size of your pan, cook several donuts at a time, watching carefully and turning over after 3-4 minutes.
11. Transfer the donuts to a lined bowl or cookie sheet to allow cooling and draining time, as you continue to fry the remaining donuts.
12. After cooling at least 10 minutes, fill a piping bag with your desired filling. If you don’t have a filing tip and piping bag, you can use a small ziplock bag, cutting off a small piece of the bottom corner.
13. Poke a hole into your donut and fill slowly. I love filling so I repeat this step on the opposite side of my donuts.
14. roll each filled donut in a bowl of powdered sugar.

The Perfect Pastry Treat

These delicious donuts are great for breakfast or an after-dinner dessert. I’ve also made them for birthday parties, teacher appreciation gifts, and housewarming baskets. They are always a huge success and tend to go fast! They are best when eaten the same day, so don’t be disappointed if they don’t stick around long.

We can’t wait to hear what you plan to fill your Polish donuts with. Let us know in the comments what your favorite fillings are and how they turn out!

Happy baking!

~Lisa