Paczki

Cooking Time: 2 hours Servings: 12

Ingredients:

Place flour, sugar, salt, & yeast in large bowl.
Stir in warm milk, followed by oil, egg yolks & vanilla.
With electric mixer, beat for 2 minutes on high speed.
Stir in enough flour until the dough holds together.
Place dough on a floured surface and knead 50 turns, cover with plastic and let rest 10 min.
If using custard filling, make it now so it can cool.
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
On a floured surface, roll dough 1/2-inch thick.
Cut circles using a 2 1/2 -inch round cutter, dipped in flour. Re-roll scraps.
Place mounds on baking sheet, cover with a towel, and let rise in a warm spot about 45 minutes. (1 hour at room temp.)
After 30 minutes, preheat oven to 375° F.
When paczki are puffy, but not necessarily doubled in size, bake for 10 minutes.
Meantime, melt butter and place 1/3 cup sugar in a plastic produce bag, and lay down some wax paper to save cleanup.
Remove paczki immediately from pan to wax paper.
Brush each one while warm (top & sides) with melted butter and roll in bag to coat with sugar. Shake off excess.
Fill using a pastry bag with a long slender tip, pushing into the side.
Serve immediately.

Custard Filling:

In a small saucepan, combine 1/4 cup sugar + 1 tablespoon cornstarch.
Slowly stir in 1 cup 1% milk + 1 egg yolk.
Bring to a boil & cook about a minute, stirring constantly, until thickened. (it thickens more as it cools)
Transfer to a plate and let it stand, undisturbed, to cool thoroughly before using - refrigerate if necessary.
Fill paczki with filling using a pastry bag with a long slender tip, pushing into the side.
Or slice an opening in the side and insert filling with a spoon.
Serve immediately.

adapted from Jenny Can Cook