Pączki and Makowiec for my prince polo!

Delicious Polish desserts for my prince polo!

Click on pictures to enlarge!


Pączki ( Pronounced PONSKI.... Polish doughnuts) with homemade plum and blackberry preserves



I love this tin; It came all the way from Poland with dark chocolate!



My homemade plum and blackberry preserves ( My addition)


Unbaked pączki and "freeze dried raspberries" ( Use pestle to pound fine) ( My addition)



makowiec: click on the picture for this recipe!




My sweetie is of Polish descent and grew up eating these desserts. Therefore it was only prudent that I at least try to make them for him. His Mom gave me the recipes and I made subtle changes to make the recipes my own. I love to be creative and as you well know, "I never follow the pack." I am a little rebel especially where recipes are concerned. Aberration is truly my middle name and he loved my variations better!

Please use organic ingredients when possible.

Recipe for my plum and blackberry preserves: ( My Addition)

• 6 big plums
• 1c h2o
• 1/4 c organic sugar crystals, minus 2 teaspoons
  
• 6 oz blackberries
• 1 box Kojel (tropical punch jel dessert) or any kosher jello
• sparkling grapetiser
  

Wash and cut plums into small pieces and place in a saucepan with the sugar and the water and cook for about 20 mins until the fruit is cooked down but still have a little bit of integrity. You just want the natural pectin of the plums to be released. Add the washed blackberries and cook for another 5 mins. Remove from the stove and let cool for 10 min. I mixed 2 teaspoons of the kojel with a little sparkling white grapetiser and set it aside for 5 mins. The result was that it jelled ! I then mixed it gingerly into the preserves being careful not to break the blackberries. This was an experiment and let me tell you, these preserves were not sweet at all. It had a delicious twang!

Recipe for the Pącki:

• 3 and three quarter cups organic unbleached all purpose flour
• 1/4 c cornstarch (my addition)
  
• 1/4 oz dried yeast
• 1/2 c super fine sugar
• 3T unsalted European butter
• 2 Egg lands best eggs( beaten)
• 2/3 c warm water
• 2T vanilla extract( I use the one from Santo Domingo), use any brand you prefer! ( My addition)
• 1t cardamom ( my addition)
• plastic container of "Just Raspberries" (freeze dried raspberries) (My addition)
• 1 t artificial rum extract ( my addition)

Method: In a bowl of a kitchen aid, sift the flour, cornstarch, cardamom and stir in the yeast. Rub in the butter, until it resembles fine pebbles. Mix in the sugar. Use a pestle to pound 3 handfuls of the freeze dried raspberries and then add to the flour mixture. Make a well in the mixture and add the eggs, water, vanilla, artificial rum extract and mix to a soft dough with the dough hook. The dough has to be smooth and elastic, so continue kneading in kitchen aid for 10 more minutes and also if you see that the mixture is a bit dry, just add a little bit more water. If you live above 5,000ft like me and there is no humidity, then you have to add a little more liquid to recipes!
Put dough in an oiled bowl in a warm place , cover with plastic and let rise for an hour until doubled in volume. Knead the dough again and divide into twenty balls. Flatten each ball, add 1t plum preserves and pinch firmly to seal. Place the balls on a lightly floured tray and leave to rise for 30 mins. The recipe says to fry the doughnuts, but I baked them at 400 degrees for about 25- 30 mins until golden brown. Roll the fried or baked doughnuts immediately into a mixture of the super fine sugar and cinnamon. Serve these doughnuts warm.

Tip: Spray plastic wrap with olive oil spray, in this way when the dough rises it will not stick to the plastic.

These doughnuts were crispy on the outside and had a soft crumb. The fresh preserves oozed out as you bit into them and was such a lovely accompaniment with tea or coffee. The makowiec too was just so darn good and gave a new meaning to coffee bread at least for me. My philosophy about overindulging almost proved to be null and void ha! ha! I did however " overnight express mail" some to my sweetie's Mom! Pączki and Makowiec are great treats!

PLease enjoy!

Nazarina A



See how easy this gingerbread chocolate train was here!
I have all the templates and if you can cut pizza, you can
cut this dough with a pizza cutter!