Authentic Polish Paczki

Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• 12 egg yolks (or six whole eggs, see note)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 (1/4 ounce) packages active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 1/3 cup room temperature butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 4 1/2 cups flour
• 1/3 cup rum or 1/3 cup brandy
• 1 cup scalded whipping cream
• 1 1/2 cups preserves or 1 1/2 cups cooked prunes or 1 1/2 cups cooked apples or 1 1/2 cups poppy seed filling
• oil (for deep frying, the old-timers used lard, but vegetable oil will work(i use peanut oil.)

Recipe

• 1 beat egg yolks with the salt in the small bowl of an electric mixer at high speed until the mixture is thick and piles softly, about 7 minutes.
• 2 soften yeast in warm water.
• 3 cream butter, add sugar to it gradually, beating until fluffy.
• 4 slowly beat in the softened yeast.
• 5 stir one fourth of the flour into the yeast mix.
• 6 add rum/brandy and half of the cream.
• 7 beat in another fourth of the flour.
• 8 stir in remaining cream.
• 9 beat in half of the remaining flour and then the egg yolk mixture.
• 10 beat for 2 minutes.
• 11 gradually beat in the remaining flour until the dough blisters.
• 12 cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
• 13 set in a warm place to rise.
• 14 when it has doubled in bulk, punch it down.
• 15 cover and let rise again until doubled.
• 16 punch it down again.
• 17 roll dough on a floured surface to about 3/4 inch thickness.
• 18 cut out 3 inch rounds using a cookie cutter or glass.
• 19 put 1 tablespoon of filling in the center of half the circles.
• 20 brush the edges with water.
• 21 top with the remaining rounds.
• 22 seal the edges very well.
• 23 cover the paczki on a floured surface.
• 24 let rise about 20 minutes.
• 25 deep fry in the hot fat until they are golden brown on both sides.
• 26 sprinkle with powdered sugar or drizzle with honey.