Grandmas Polish Doughnuts Food

GRANDMA'S POLISH DOUGHNUTS

Steps:

• Scald the milk. To scald milk: Place milk in a heavy-bottomed pan on low heat. Stir occasionally until milk is just hot with steam and small bubbles appear around the edges; do not boil. Remove from the heat.
• Add butter to warm milk and stir until melted.
• Allow butter and milk to cool until it is just warm (around 110-115°F). Add yeast and 2 cups flour. Mix well.
• Allow to rest for around 10 minutes to give the yeast time to "proof" or activate. The mix should be starting to bubble.
• Pour flour/milk mix into mixing bowl. Add egg, yolks, sugar, salt and vanilla. Mix well.
• Start adding the rest of the flour, one cup at a time, mixing after each addition, until you have slightly sticky dough. Dump dough onto lightly floured countertop to knead in the last of the flour.
• Depending on the humidity levels, you may not need all the flour called for in the recipe. You want the dough to be soft and elastic, not too stiff. Don't overwork it or you'll develop the gluten too much and your doughnuts will be tougher.
• Grease your bowl and gently coat your dough with oil. Cover and set in a warm place and let rise until double.
• While dough is rising, prep your frying oil. A deep fryer is great if you have one. I use an eight quart heavy bottom pot. I put in enough local, non-hydrogenated lard to fill the pot around 3-4 inches deep.
• When the dough has doubled in size, roll out to about 1/3 inch thick and cut out doughnuts. We used a large glass for the doughnut and an empty decorator sprinkle container for the holes. Let rise until double in size.
• Heat lard to 340-365°F for frying. Drop 3-4 doughnuts into the frying oil, keeping an eye on your frying temp. Cook until brown on one side, flip and brown on the other side.
• Remove doughnuts from frying oil and place to drain on a wire rack sitting oven a paper grocery bag. Dip in glaze or sugar while still warm, if desired.
• For glaze, simply mix all ingredients together.

BAKED PACZKI (POLISH DOUGHNUTS)

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• In a small bowl or measuring cup, add the yeast to the warm milk; stir to dissolve and set aside.
• In a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the sugar and butter until fluffy.
• Beat in the egg, egg yolks, brandy or rum, and salt until well incorporated.
• Add 4 1/2 cups of the flour alternately with the milk-yeast mixture and beat for 5 or more minutes until smooth. The dough will be very slack. If much too soft or runny, add the remaining 1/2 cup flour.
• Place the dough in a greased bowl. Cover and let rise until doubled in bulk, anywhere from 1 to 2 1/2 hours.
• Punch down the dough and let rise again.
• Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Pat or roll to 1/2 to 3/4-inch thickness. Cut rounds with a 3-inch cutter. Remove the scraps, re-roll, and re-cut.
• Transfer the rounds to parchment-lined baking sheets, cover, and let rounds rise until doubled in bulk, 30 minutes or longer. Heat the oven to 375 F.
• Place pączki in the oven and bake 8 to 10 minutes or until a toothpick tests clean.
• Remove from the oven; if coating in granulated sugar, brush the tops and sides with melted butter and roll in granulated sugar while still hot. If using confectioners' sugar, let the doughnuts cool before coating.
• To fill the pączki , let them cool completely, cut a slit in the side, and slip a teaspoon of fruit paste or jam inside. Then dust with confectioners' sugar or roll in granulated sugar.
• Serve and enjoy.

POLISH DOUGHNUTS - PACZKI

Steps:

• Scald milk and allow to cool to lukewarm, add yeast and stir.
• Beat sugar and butter until fluffy, add eggs, salt, vanilla and mace.
• Add flour and yeast-milk gradually, beating well.
• Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk.
• Punch down and let rise again.
• Roll out dough, on a floured surface, 3/4 inch thick.
• Cut out 1 1/2 inch circles.
• Top half of the circles with 1 tsp jam, cover with the remaining circles and seal edges.
• Heat oil mixed with 1 tbls water to 375°F.
• Fry, turning once, to a medium golden brown.
• Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with sugar.

POLISH DOUGHNUTS (PąCZKI)

Steps:

• To make the leaven, mix the yeast with the sugar and flour, and stir in the warm milk. Set aside in a warm place for 30 minutes.
• For the dough, put egg yolks into a heatproof bowl and add the sugar and vanilla sugar. Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water and whisk until smooth and thick.
• Sift the flour into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the beaten yolks and the warm cream, mix thoroughly, then add a pinch of salt and the leaven. Bring together to make a dough and knead for 10 minutes (or 15-20 if doing this by hand).
• When the dough stops sticking to your hands, pour in the cooled melted butter and knead for a few more minutes. Cover with a cloth and leave in a warm place to rise for at least 1 hr-1 hr 30 mins.
• Mix the jam with the ground almonds and spoon into a piping bag or jam syringe. Divide the dough into 16 pieces and shape them into doughnuts. Cover and leave to rise for 30 mins.
• Fill a deep pan or a deep fat fryer one third full of oil or melted lard and heat it until it is 180C - if you don't have a thermometer, drop in a small chunk of bread. The oil is ready when it browns in about 30 secs. Add the doughnuts and fry, turning them once for about 1-2 mins on each side (a thin lighter ring should form in the middle). After removing, drain the doughnuts of excess fat on some kitchen paper.
• Mix the icing sugar, lemon juice and almond essence, adding some water if you need to thin the icing. When the doughnuts have cooled a little, pipe in the jam mixture and glaze them in the icing and sprinkle with the chopped almonds.

GRANDMA'S OLD-FASHIONED CAKE DONUTS

Steps:

• Beat eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer until whipped to a creamy color. Mix in sugar gradually until well blended. Mix in buttermilk and vanilla extract. Mix in butter.
• Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt together in a separate bowl. Beat 1/2 of the mixture into the sugar mixture until well blended; beat in remaining 1/2. Let batter rest for 20 minutes.
• Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead as little as possible until it comes together. Roll dough out using a rolling pin until it is 3/8-inch thick; cut into donut shapes.
• Lower donuts carefully into the hot oil and cook until light brown, 2 to 3 minutes, turning once. Remove from oil and let cool on a wire rack.