Happy Paczki Day

(Image from Emily's Bakery)

So, have you heard of Paczkis? I had never heard of them until a couple of my friends talked about them on Facebook. Well, today is the day, kids. It's Paczki Day! I ate my first Paczki at Emily's Bakery in Hastings, MN. Here's a bit of the history of Paczkis straight from Emily's website:

"These round, sugar-coated, fruit-filled Polish pastries were served up annually on the day before Lent, a period of abstinence observed by Roman Catholics."

"The New World version, like the old, begins as an extra large doughball, rich in egg yolks and deep fried, just like a donut. Each is then overfilled with raspberry, strawberry, custard, lemon, peach, creamcheese or the traditional filling of prune. Then they are topped with a smooth sugar glaze or rolled in fine granulated sugar."

My son also enjoyed his very own chocolate cream filled paczki.  Needless to say, the kid loved it. (thankfully he wasn't able to finish it).  :)  I hope to make this an annual tradition.  I hope you will too!  After all, it is Fat Tuesday.