Donuts (and Filled Paczki)

Here is the update for variations on the Paczki recipe to make Donuts or Filled Paczki. Basically, the only difference is in the shaping stage so if you can get that far then you are good to go.

For Filled Paczki, you are going to cut circles about 2.5 inches in diameter. I had a little tool that could cut and crimp, but if you are in a pinch, you can just use the rim of a pint glass. Roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thick and then cut your circles. Once you have all your dough shaped, add about a teaspoon of your favorite pie filling in the middle of half of your circles - a true Paczki in my opinion has either Apricot or Prune filling. These fillings will be fine if all your friends are 80 or older, but if you have younger folks you might be sharing these Paczki with, then feel free to try apple or some other filling. Then whisk up one egg - you can add a little water to make it more like an egg-wash, but if you just whisk the egg that is fine. Then brush on your egg(wash) around the teaspoon of filling and place an unfilled circle on top of the filled one. Crimp the corners to make sure you have a good seal. The egg-wash will act as a glue to keep the Paczki from busting open when frying. Once you have completely shaped and filled your Paczki, let them rise for 30 to 45 minutes until they look fairly plump. Fry for about 2-3 minutes a side until deep golden brown. Then toss in sugar and enjoy.


For Donuts, roll out your dough to 1/4 inch thick. Then use two round anythings for the cutting. I used the rim of a pint glass and pop-bottle cap. Keep rolling out and cutting until you have used up all your dough and then let your Donuts rise for about 30 to 45 minutes. They will plump up a little bit more once they are in the fryer so don't worry if they don't look like full size donuts after raising for awhile, they will. Fry for about 2 minutes a side. They don't have to be as dark as the Paczki, but you still want to make sure they aren't doughy in the middle. Test the first few that you fry to see what works best. Roll in cinnamon sugar or make an easy glaze to dip them in. For my glazed donuts, I just used 1 and 1/4 cup confectioners sugar and 1/4ish cup of milk. Just combine the two until you get a glaze that is fairly runny, but will stick to your finger if you dip it in.
For both the Paczki and the Donuts, let them cool for a few minutes before rolling in the sugar or glazing. And when you are rolling out your dough, make sure you are being pretty generous with the flour on your floured surface. Otherwise, when you cut the dough and try to move your circles, they will stick to the surface and quickly no longer resemble circles. Another good idea is to move your cut dough to parchment paper when you let it proof before frying. Enjoy!