Are you ready to embark on a culinary adventure that will tantalize your taste buds? If you’re a fan of sweet, indulgent pastries, Custard-Filled Polish Paczki is a must-try. These delectable treats, hailing from Poland, are a delightful fusion of rich, eggy dough and velvety custard filling. In this article, we’ll guide you through the process of making these heavenly pastries step by step.

Ingredients:

Before we dive into the art of making Custard-Filled Polish Paczki, let’s gather all the essential ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need:

For the Paczki Dough:

For the Custard Filling:

For Frying and Glazing:

Instructions:

Preparing the Paczki Dough:

1. In a small bowl, combine the warm milk and a pinch of sugar. Sprinkle the active dry yeast over the milk, stir gently, and let it sit for about 5-10 minutes until it becomes frothy.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, and salt.
3. Add the egg yolks, softened butter, yeast mixture, vanilla extract, and citrus zest (if using) to the dry ingredients. Mix until a sticky dough forms.
4. Knead the dough on a floured surface until it becomes smooth and elastic, about 5-7 minutes.
5. Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover it with a clean kitchen towel, and let it rise in a warm place for about 1-1.5 hours or until it doubles in size.

Preparing the Custard Filling:

6. In a saucepan, combine the whole milk and granulated sugar. Heat over medium heat until it’s hot but not boiling.
7. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and cornstarch until smooth.
8. Slowly pour the hot milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly.
9. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
10. Let the custard cool to room temperature.

Shaping and Filling the Paczki:

11. Roll out the risen dough on a floured surface to about 1/2-inch thickness.
12. Use a round cookie cutter or a glass to cut out circles of dough.
13. Place a small spoonful of the custard filling in the center of each dough circle.
14. Fold the dough over to create a half-moon shape and pinch the edges to seal.

Frying and Glazing:

15. Heat vegetable oil in a deep pan to 350°F (175°C).
16. Carefully add the filled paczki to the hot oil and fry until they are golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side.
17. Remove the paczki from the oil and place them on paper towels to drain excess oil.

Glaze and Decorate:

18. In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and milk until you have a smooth glaze.
19. Dip each paczki into the glaze to coat the top.
20. If desired, decorate with colored sprinkles while the glaze is still wet.