Strawberry paczkis rolled in granulated sugar then dusted in powdered sugar
Yesterday I visited Roy’s Bakery at their new location by the waterfront on Lakeshore Drive in Houghton. The vast selection of breads, pasties, and other baked goods was impressive. Whilst ordering a traditional pasty, I noticed a sign taped to the counter which said “Pre-order your Paczkis.” I was sucked into the temptation and pre-ordered 4 deep-fried, custard and fruit-filled dough chunks.
Courtney’s (last name unknown) NeighborFood blog has a recipe for strawberry filled paczkis. The recipe page combines great photos with a great recipe which is an instant winner for me. As you scroll down the page you see photos of the baking process from start to finish. This totally dictates the way I cook. I usually have my laptop or iPad on the counter and scroll down the page to see the next step. By following along with the pictures, you almost don’t have to read the actual recipe. I like this set up a lot since it’s visually appealing and easy to read and navigate. I’ve found that many Pinerest recipe links are set up this way as well.
Before Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent, Christians in Rome would feast for a day before fasting for 40. This tradition was brought to North America by French Catholics, hence the French translation of Fat Tuesday is “Mardi Gras.” Since lard and sugar (among other things) were not allowed to be consumed during Lent, these ingredients had to be used up before Lent. Polish Christians found a way to use up all of unhealthy food: they made paczkis.
Being raised Catholic, I can tell you we don’t fast for 40 days. Fasting is a thing of the past. It is a practice, however, to “give something up” for Lent and to stay away from meat on Fridays, which is partly where Fish Fry Fridays come from (since fish is not considered a meat).
Using a pastry bag to fill paczkis with strawberry jelly
The relationship between fasting and eating paczkis or king cakes is an interesting one. We don’t fast anymore yet the intake of paczkis has increased. Last year, Beck’s Crown Bakery in Indiana sold 850 DOZEN paczkis. This year, Roy’s Bakery will sell thousands of them. Why do we eat so many of them? How did I get sucked into it? I think the culture is a huge driving force. It’s a tradition mixed from christian, polish, and French roots that has been passed down from our earlier generations. I don’t have Polish or French roots so it’s interesting why I’m adopting this tradition. With a high concentration of Polish immigrants in the Michigan/Illinois/Wisconsin area, paczkis have been popular here for over 100 years. It’s part pressure from tradition and part a calling from my brain/taste buds.
Yeah, one of these paczkis is 700-1500 calories. So what. I say eating one or two of them when Fat Tuesday comes around is fine. Embrace your culture’s tradition… or steal someone else’s and embrace it!