Baumann’s Bakery – Paczki Day

Walking into work today I had a horrifying encounter – at least two dozen donuts stuffed with creams and jellies and glistening with chocolate, strawberry and vanilla icing. I then learned that there was a special reason that these donuts appeared today to completely destroy my diet. These were not actually donuts. They were Paczki – Polish donuts eaten on Fat Tuesday.

The traditional reason for making Paczki was to eat up all of those things that you would give up for lent – butter, sugar, lard etc. The Paczki I was faced with today were ordered from Baumann’s Bakery on Harlem Avenue in Palos Heights. They come in a big red box that says “Paczki” on the side. In the name of research I had to try a few different kinds – vanilla cream with chocolate icing, raspberry jelly with sugar, strawberry jelly with pink icing and lemon curd with a bright lemon icing.

My coworker informed me that I had missed the best one – chocolate cream with chocolate icing – because she had eaten it early in the morning. Call them donuts or call them Paczki – I call them great and I’m certainly glad they only come around once per year. We’ll have to see how long the box will last.

Baumann’s Bakery

12250 S. Harlem Avenue

Palos Heights

Comments

[Josh]

Apparantly Steffen’s Bakery made 1200 dozen pazckis for today.
714 State Line Rd.
Calumet City, IL

[Barb Rolek]

This year, check out Delightful Pastries on West Lawrence Avenue in Chicago for paczki. Here's a photo gallery of some of their Christmas goodies. http://easteuropeanfood.about.com/od/crossculturaldesserts/ig/Delightful-Pastries/index.htm. Everything's made from scratch. Dobra, one of the owners, studied at the Sorbonne for a master's degree in foreign policy before coming home to study at the Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago. She was dazzled by the pastries in Paris and switched careers! They also make pierogi and seasonal savory foods.