Polish Pre Lenten Jelly Doughnuts Paczki Recipes

POLISH PACZKI JELLY DONUTS

Steps:

• Heat the milk to 90 degrees. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the milk and yeast. Stir lightly, and let rest until the mixture begins to foam, about 5 minutes.
• Fit the mixer with the dough hook and beat the eggs, butter, sugar, and salt into the yeast mixture. Add half of the flour, and mix until combined, then mix in the rest of the flour until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. If the dough seems wet at this point and isn't completely releasing from the sides of the bowl, add a little more flour, 2 tablespoons at a time. The dough will kneed for about 5 minutes before it lets go of the bowl. Remove dough and lightly spray the mixer bowl with the pan spray. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise at room temperature until it doubles in size, about 1 hour.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and roll it to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut the doughnuts out with a 3-inch biscuit cutter. Knead any scraps together, only once, let rest for a few minutes, repeat the process.
• Put the doughnuts onto floured baking sheets with plenty of room between each one. Cover with a kitchen towel, and let rise in a warm place until they are slightly puffed up and delicate, about 30 minutes. You can also proof in the oven. Heat to 200 at the beginning of this step, turn off the heat, put the baking sheets in the oven and leave the door ajar. We don't want to heat the dough, just create a warm environment for the yeast to work.
• About 15 minutes before the doughnuts are done rising, heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat, and heat it to 375 using a candy thermometer. Meanwhile, line a cooling rack, baking sheets or plates with paper towels.
• Carefully add the doughnuts to the oil, a few at a time. If they're too delicate to pick up with your fingers (they may be this way if you rose them in the oven), use a metal spatula to pick them up and slide them into the oil. It's okay if they deflate a bit; they'll puff back up as they fry. When the bottoms are deep golden, after 45 seconds to a minute, use your spider strainer to flip; cook until they're deep golden all over. Transfer the doughnuts to the prepared plates or racks, and repeat with the rest of the dough, adjusting the heat as needed to keep the oil at 375.
• When the doughnuts are totally cool fill with your favorite jelly, dust with powdered sugar and enjoy!

POLISH DOUGHNUTS - PACZKI

Steps:

• Scald milk and allow to cool to lukewarm, add yeast and stir.
• Beat sugar and butter until fluffy, add eggs, salt, vanilla and mace.
• Add flour and yeast-milk gradually, beating well.
• Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk.
• Punch down and let rise again.
• Roll out dough, on a floured surface, 3/4 inch thick.
• Cut out 1 1/2 inch circles.
• Top half of the circles with 1 tsp jam, cover with the remaining circles and seal edges.
• Heat oil mixed with 1 tbls water to 375°F.
• Fry, turning once, to a medium golden brown.
• Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with sugar.

PACZKI

Steps:

• For the paczki: Whisk together the flour and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
• Microwave the milk in a small microwave-safe bowl until warm (between 110 to 115 degrees F.), about 1 minute, then stir to even out the temperature. Add the yeast and 1 teaspoon of the granulated sugar, stirring just enough to hydrate the yeast. Let bloom for 8 to 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, add the butter and remaining granulated sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Cream together on medium high-speed, stopping and scraping the bowl once or twice as necessary, until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the whole eggs and beat on medium high to combine, about 1 minute. Add the egg yolks and vanilla and beat together another minute.
• Starting with the mixer on low and then raising to medium high, add the flour mixture in 2 parts, alternating with the yeast mixture. Once the last addition of flour has been combined, knead the dough in the mixer until smooth, 6 to 8 minutes. The dough will be slack and sticking to the sides but not too sticky to the touch. If it is too sticky, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of flour and knead a minute more to tighten it up.
• Put the dough on a flour-dusted surface and knead by hand a few times, tucking the dough under itself to form a smooth ball. Transfer to a large, greased bowl, cover with a kitchen towel and leave to rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 40 to 60 minutes.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and roll or pat down to 1/2 inch thick. Cut the dough into 3-inch circles and place on a lightly floured baking sheet. Make one more circle from the dough scraps or make mini paczki to fry. Cover the dough circles with a kitchen towel and let rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat the oil in a deep Dutch oven to 350 degrees F; line a baking sheet with paper towels.
• Shake off any flour from the dough circles and fry in batches of 3 to 4 until deep golden brown, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes on each side. You will be able to tell they are cooked through because the amount of bubbles will reduce to almost nothing. Transfer the doughnuts to the paper towel-lined baking sheet as they come out of the oil. Return the oil to 350 degrees F between batches. Let rest until cool enough to handle.
• For the filling and glaze. Fit a pastry bag with a small round tip and fill with the jam. Set aside.
• Use a thick skewer or chopstick to poke a hole in the middle of each doughnut and wiggle a little space, taking care to not poke all the way through. Fill with the jam using the pastry bag.
• To make the glaze, add the confectioners' sugar to a small bowl big enough to dip a doughnut into. Whisk in the milk until smooth. The glaze should be a little loose, close to the consistency of maple syrup. Dip each doughnut in the glaze, letting it roll off a bit before turning it over to set. Some of the glaze will run down the sides which is okay, but if you need to adjust the thickness, add a little more confectioners' sugar or milk depending on what you need. Let the glaze set for about 5 minutes! If you want to skip the glaze, just dust with confectioners' sugar; many paczki are enjoyed this way too. Paczki are best the day they are made, but they can be stored in an airtight container to enjoy the next day.

PACZKI (POLISH "JELLY" DOUGHNUTS)

Steps:

• SPONGE:.
• Dissolve crushed yeast in lukewarm milk, sift in flour, add sugar.
• Mix, cover, and let stand in warm place to rise.
• Beat egg yolks with powdered sugar and vanilla sugar until fluffy.
• Sift flour into bowl, add sponge (yeast mixture), egg mixture, and grain alcohol or rum.
• Knead well until dough is smooth and glossy.
• Gradually add melted lukewarm butter and continue kneading dough until it no longer clings to hands and bowl and air blisters appear.
• Cover with cloth and let rise in warm place until doubled.
• Punch dough down and let it rise again. Transfer dough to floured board, sprinkle top with flour, and roll out about 1/2" inch thick.
• With glass or biscuit-cutter, cut into rounds.
• Arrange on floured board and proceed in either of the following ways:.
• SMALL PACZKI:.
• Place a spoonful of fruit filling (rose-hip preserves, cherry preserves, or other thick jam) off center on each round.
• Raise edges of dough and pinch together over filling, then roll between palms snowball fashion to form balls.
• Let rise in warm place until doubled.
• LARGE PACZKI:.
• Place a spoonful of fruit filling as above on only 1/2 dough rounds, cover each with another round, pinch edges together, and roll between palms to form a ball.
• Let rise until doubled in warm, draft-free place.
• Heat 1 1/2-2 lbs. lard in deep pan so paczki can float freely during frying.
• It is hot enough when a small piece of dough dropped into hot fat immediately floats up.
• Fry paczki without crowding several minutes until nicely browned on bottom, then turn over and fry on other side another 3 minutes or so.
• NOTE:.
• If using electric fryer, set temperature at 360-375 degrees.
• If frying in stove-top pan and fat begins to burn, add several slices of peeled raw potato which will both lower the temperature and absorb the burnt flavor.
• Paczki may also be fried in oil, but lard produces the tastiest results.
• If you are cutting down on animal fats, you can compromise by using a lard and oil combination.
• Transfer fried paczki to absorbent paper and set aside to cool.
• When cool, dust generously with powdered sugar, glaze or icing.
• RECIPES USING EGG WHITES:.
• Fat-Free, Sugar-Free & Cholesterol-Free Banana Bread! Recipe #45394.
• Angel Food Cake Recipe #12591.
• Fruit pies with meringue topping.