Paczki — The Polish Sweetness Babcia Rose Taught Me to Carry Forward

The last Christmas before the twins knew what Christmas was will not be the last Christmas I remember. This is the first one. Wren and Felix are three weeks old and they do not know about Christmas trees or lights or the smell of kolaczki or that Steve has been building things for them in his garage since before they existed. They do not know about Babcia Rose, who is 88 and who held them at Thanksgiving and who is here now, at Steve and Patty house for the first Christmas, in her good earrings, slower than last year but entirely herself.

She made pierogi. She made them this morning at Patty house, at the kitchen table, while I sat with her and handed her things and watched her hands. She is slower than she was. The crimping is still perfect. It will always be perfect. I made a second batch alongside her — my batch, slower, less efficient, still improving — and she did not correct me once, which means I have gotten good enough that her corrections are complete. I do not know what to do with that except to say: I received it. I am carrying it forward.

Ryan held both babies through most of the day in the way he holds things that matter — completely attentive, completely present. Felix fell asleep on his chest after dinner and Ryan did not move for forty-five minutes so as not to wake him. Steve brought the crib into the main room and stood next to it and said: I made this for them. He said it to the room, which is unusual for Steve, who generally says things quietly to one person at a time. Everyone heard it. Patty cried. I cried. Steve looked at the crib and then looked at Felix on Ryan chest and nodded once.

Babcia Rose said goodnight to me at the door on the way out — she was leaving earlier than usual, which I noticed but did not say anything about — and she held my hands and said: look what you made. I looked at the room: my father with a crib he built, my mother managing the universe, my babies asleep, my husband the person he has always been, my grandmother in her earrings at 88. I looked at all of it. I said: I had help. She said she knew. She said: keep going. She said be good. I said I try. She said that is all.

Babcia Rose made the pierogi, and I made my batch alongside her, and somewhere in that quiet morning at Patty’s kitchen table I understood that what she has been handing me all these years is not just technique — it’s a whole vocabulary of love expressed through dough. Paczki are part of that same vocabulary: Polish, labored over, impossibly tender when done right, the kind of thing you make when the people around the table are worth the effort. I wanted something I could bring to the next gathering that carries the same spirit as that morning — her hands, my hands, the kitchen warm, the babies asleep in the next room — and paczki are exactly that.

Paczki

Prep Time: 30 minutes + 1 hour 30 minutes rising | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes | Servings: 18 paczki

Ingredients

• 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 packet (2 1/4 tsp) active dry yeast
• 3/4 cup whole milk, warmed to 110°F
• 4 egg yolks
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp grain alcohol or rum (optional, traditional)
• 3/4 cup rose hip jam or plum jam, for filling
• Vegetable oil, for frying (about 4 cups)
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 3–4 tbsp warm water or milk, for glaze
• Candied orange peel or dried orange zest, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Activate the yeast. Combine the warm milk and 1 tsp of the sugar in a small bowl. Sprinkle the yeast over the top, stir gently, and let sit for 8–10 minutes until foamy and fragrant.
2. Make the dough. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, remaining sugar, and salt. Add the egg yolks, softened butter, sour cream, vanilla, and alcohol (if using) to the yeast mixture. Pour the wet ingredients into the flour and stir until a shaggy dough forms.
3. Knead until smooth. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8–10 minutes until the dough is soft, supple, and slightly tacky but not sticky. It should spring back when poked. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a clean towel, and let rise in a warm spot for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
4. Shape the paczki. Punch down the dough and divide into 18 equal pieces (about 50g each). Flatten each piece into a 3-inch round in your palm. Place 1 tsp of jam in the center, then pull the edges up and pinch firmly to seal — make sure the seal is tight so the filling stays inside during frying. Place sealed-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
5. Let rise again. Cover the shaped paczki loosely and let rest for 30 minutes until they look puffy and light.
6. Fry the paczki. Pour the oil into a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven to a depth of 3 inches. Heat to 350°F. Working in batches of 3–4, gently lower the paczki into the oil sealed-side up. Fry for 2–3 minutes per side until deep golden brown. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a wire rack set over a paper-towel-lined baking sheet. Let the oil return to 350°F between batches.
7. Make the glaze. Whisk together the powdered sugar and warm water or milk until smooth and pourable. The glaze should coat a spoon but still drip off in a slow ribbon.
8. Glaze and garnish. While the paczki are still warm (not hot), dip the tops into the glaze or spoon it over generously. Immediately press a small piece of candied orange peel into the glaze if using. Let set for 5 minutes before serving.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 245 | Protein: 4g | Fat: 9g | Carbs: 37g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 80mg