So I've finally had my first paczki. That's pronounced poonch-key, if you're not Polish. I'm not either, but this whole paczki phenomena has me frankly puzzled. I tried Googling it last night to find out more about them, in anticipation for this post, and there is very little to be found regarding these delightfully sinful baked goods.
Here's what I personally know of the paczki.
- they are deep fried and jelly filled, sometimes powdered on the outside. They are donuts.
- they must be at least 8000 calories...each
- people only make a big deal about them once a year, on Fat Tuesday
- they are Polish in origin
- the only experience I have with the paczki is in this region, and it's not even a Canadian thing. It all comes from Michigan.
So here's what I want to know from you, my many legion of readers. Is the paczki a purely regional thing? It seems to me that the only place I can get any info about them from is Michigan. It's all over the tv news, newspapers, online...what gives? Did all Polish immigrants land in Detroit?
I have to say, though the doughy, donutty part was quite yummy, the jelly filling was a bit much. There was tonnes of it stuffed inside there and it was a little gross. I'm not really a jelly donut person anyway, I'm really more partial to fritters if we're going to talk hole-less donuts. As for the traditional donut, I like a nice chocolate dip from Tim Hortons, perhaps a double chocolate or a chocolate glaze. For on the run, nothing beats 8-10 Timbits (what one must assume is the middle parts of donuts...little round balls in the same flavours as the donuts).
In any case, my very first paczki left me with a bit of sugar shock, a mild stomach ache and a huge feeling of guilt for having ingested that much fat and sugar in one fell swoop. Good thing it's only once a year I guess. Next year it's pancakes for dinner.
Back to crafting soon, I promise.
*If you can make it out from the photo, try to read what's written on the grocery label under Assorted Paczki's...it caught my eye last night and made me laugh!
