Paczki (Polish Doughnuts)

Earlier this week Katie shared that it was Paczki Day, but I was on an out-of-town business trip.
So I looked up some recipes for ideas, and today I made baked paczki.
(Paczki are kind of filled Polish doughnuts, pronounced  kind of like "punch-key".)



I made two sizes - these are the smaller paczki that I baked these in a mini muffin pan.)

I decided to make both blackberry filled paczki and chocolate filled paczki.

Ingredients:

Dough:

• 2    teaspoons active dry yeast
• 0.5    cup milk, warmed to about 100 degrees
• 8 ounces all-purpose flour (about 2 light cups)
• 2    tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1.5     large egg yolks
• 1/4    cup sugar
• 1/2    teaspoon salt
• 1/8    teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2    teaspoon vanilla
     

Vanilla Sugar:

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• one or two pinches salt
     
• + 2 tablespoons butter for brushing tops
     

Chocolate Pastry Cream:

• 2 egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1.5 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract  
      

Instructions:

1. Proof the yeast in the mill with a few ounces of the flour in a stand mixer bowl
2. Add the rest of the flour and the butter, egg yolks, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and vanilla.
3. Mix together at low speed until a soft dough forms.
   (The dough should be soft and sticky, but you may need to add up to 1/2 cup more flour so it holds together.)
4. Place dough on a thickly floured surface and knead 50 turns until it feels soft and not-too-sticky.
5. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise until double, about an hour and a half.
6. If you are using the custard, prepare it now (so it has time to cool):
1. In a small saucepan, mix together sugar, corn starch, cocoa powder, and salt.
2. Slowly whisk in 1/2 cup milk + egg yolks.
3. Place pan over medium low heat and slowly heat, stirring constantly.
4. Bring to a boil & cook about a minute more until thickened to a pudding consistency.
5. Remove from heat, place in another container, and cool.
7. Make up the vanilla sugar:
   
   1. Place vanilla, sugar, and salt in a tigh sealing container.
   2. Shake vigorously for a couple of minutes to distribute the vanilla in the sugar.
8. Prep a 11 x 17 baking pan with a sheet of parchment paper.
9. Place the dough on a flour surface, and roll out t 1/2 inch thick;
10. Cut out circles using a 2 1/2 inch round cutter (will make about a dozen if you re-roll scraps) or use a smaller 1 1/4 inch round cutter to make smaller ones.
11. Place the paczki on the baking pan, and let rise 45 minutes or so until puffy.
12. Preheat oven to 375 degrees after about 30 minutes of rising.
13. Bake paczki for 10 minutes in preheated oven. (These cook quickly!)
14. Melt 2 tablespoon butter.
15. Place the vanilla sugar in a large ziplock bag.
16. Fill a pastry bag that has a long slender tip with either jam or other filling.
17. After baking the paczki, remove the pan from oven and place the cooked paczki on a wire rack.
18. Brush the tops with melted butter, then place a few paczki at a time in the ziplock bag and shake to coat with sugar.
19. Then pipe filling into each paczki. Repeat to coat and fill all paczki.
20. Serve warm, or allow to cool to room temperature.
    (I stored the letfover in the refrigerator after dinner.)

Carole's Notes:

Sweet, round, filled with jam or custard - very tasty!

I made a double recipe, and provided some to Katie for inspiring to make a new round food, and some to the Scouts that Doug was hiking with today.

 

The picture above are the 2.5 inch paczki I baked on a baking pan. I recommend using a baking pan versus the mini muffin pan.

The recipe a lightly adapted mix of http://www.jennycancook.com/recipes/paczki-polish-doughnuts/ and http://joythebaker.com/2012/10/chocolate-cream-filled-vanilla-sugar-doughnuts/