Pronounced: PUNCH KEY
Makes about 18
Directions:
6 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
2 packages yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1/3 cup butter, soft
1/2 cup sugar
4 1/2 to 5 cups flour
1/3 cup Brandy
1 cup scalded cream
Oil for deep frying
Directions:
Beat egg yolks with the salt in the small bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until the mixture is thick and pale. about 5 to 6 minutes.
Soften yeast in warm water. Cream butter, add sugar to it gradually, beating until fluffy. Slowly beat in the softened yeast. Stir one fourth of the flour into the yeast mix. Add brandy and half of the cream.
Beat in another fourth of the flour. Stir in remaining cream.
Beat in half of the remaining flour and then the egg yolk mixture for 2 minutes. Gradually beat in the remaining flour. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Set in a warm place to rise. When it has doubled in bulk, punch it down. Cover and let rise again until doubled. Punch it down again. Roll dough on a floured surface to about 3/4 inch thickness.
Cut out 3 inch rounds using a cookie cutter or can. Cover the paczki on a floured surface. Let rise about 20 minutes. Deep fry in the hot fat until they are golden brown on both sides.
Sprinkle with granulated or powdered sugar, fill with fruit pie filling, pastry cream or drizzle with honey.
Pastry Cream filling
Ingredients:
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoon cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups Half and Half
2 egg yolks, slightly beaten in bowl
2 teaspoon vanilla
Directions:
Mix sugar, cornstarch and salt in 2 quart saucepan. Stir in milk gradually. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and boils. Continue to stir and cook 1 minute. Stir a few tablespoons of hot mixture into egg yolks and return to saucepan, boil and stir another minute. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla. Refrigerate to cool. Fill Paczkis with pastry bag or cut a slit in side of paczki and fill with a spoon.
