Pączki Sales are Hot for Fat Tuesday

Tuesday March 5th is Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras.

Pączki  is pronounced Poonch–key. The Pączki sign was in the bakery window as my friend Donna and I were headed to her home after eating breakfast in Dormont.  I had never heard of them.We parked and I went into the bakery and Lynn was wonderful to tell me all about the Pączki.  I bought six, three for Donna and three for Steve and me.  Lynn put each order in white bakery bags.    When we got back to Donna’s we cut one in half and shared it along with a cup of tea.

If you live in Pittsburgh they are available through Fat Tuesday at the Party Cake Shop on Brookline Boulevard.

Here is what the Party Cake Shop says   “Pączki is a pre-Lenten Mardi Gras tradition deriving from the Polish word meaning little package.

These little packages are large pastries enriched with egg yolks and deep fried like a doughnut. Each Paczki is available plain or filled with various fillings that include: vanilla custard, lemon, apricot, buttercream, chocolate buttercream, raspberry jelly, or prune and finished off with a toss in granulated sugar. “

The taste reminded me of a fresh doughnut from childhood.  Much tastier than any doughnut I have eaten in years.  I see there are recipes online to make your own but a trip to Party Cake Shop would be well worth the effort.  Last summer visiting friends took the ‘Burgh Bits and Bites Food Tour in Pittsburgh’s neighborhood of Brookline.