a powdered polish delight

there they are!
(on our butcher block)

My parents came to visit this past weekend and (to my pleasant surprise) brought down a half dozen paczki (pronounced poon-ski).  Paczkis are traditional Polish treats that closely resemble jelly doughnuts.  They contain a variety of fruit and crème fillings (we had two lemon, two custard, and two raspberry), and can be glazed or covered with powdered sugar (we had powdered).  They are not low in calories, but they are very delicious – and served as my Saturday evening dinner. 

Historically, the reason for making paczki was to use up all the lard, sugar, eggs, and fruit in one’s home, because those ingredients were forbidden to be consumed during Lent, which is why they are traditionally eaten on Fat Tuesday (the day before Ash Wednesday).  I am beyond grateful that their neighborhood grocery store had them available during this time of year!  I ate my fair share (not really, I ate the majority) and now it is time to get back on the healthy train.