Ponchki Pologne Recipes

Steps:

• Beat egg yolks with the salt in the small bowl of an electric mixer at high speed until the mixture is thick and piles softly, about 7 minutes.
• Soften yeast in warm water.
• Cream butter, add sugar to it gradually, beating until fluffy.
• Slowly beat in the softened yeast.
• Stir one fourth of the flour into the yeast mix.
• Add rum/brandy and half of the cream.
• Beat in another fourth of the flour.
• Stir in remaining cream.
• Beat in half of the remaining flour and then the egg yolk mixture.
• Beat for 2 minutes.
• Gradually beat in the remaining flour until the dough blisters.
• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
• Set in a warm place to rise.
• When it has doubled in bulk, punch it down.
• Cover and let rise again until doubled.
• Punch it down again.
• Roll dough on a floured surface to about 3/4 inch thickness.
• Cut out 3 inch rounds using a cookie cutter or glass.
• Put 1 tablespoon of filling in the center of half the circles.
• Brush the edges with water.
• Top with the remaining rounds.
• Seal the edges very well.
• Cover the paczki on a floured surface.
• Let rise about 20 minutes.
• Deep fry in the hot fat until they are golden brown on both sides.
• Sprinkle with powdered sugar or drizzle with honey.

Steps:

• Mix crumbled yeast cake in lukewarm milk. Add the smaller amount of flour & set to rise in a warm place, covered with warm cloth, 20-25 minutes.
• Stir butter, lemon rind (optional) sugar, mace or nutmeg & salt together.
• Add the warm flour & egg yolks.
• Mix this with yeast sponge & add enough lukewarm milk to make a dough as thick as bread dough.
• Add butter, melted & cooled, & beat thoroughly for 10-15 minutes or until bubbles appear on surface of dough.
• Cover& allow to rise about 20 minutes, then mix it lightly again.
• Flour a board & take out small portions at a time.
• Roll out to 1/3-inch thickness & cut in 2 to 2- 1/2 inch rounds.
• For filling, use prune jam, marmalade or jelly.
• Place filling in center of each dough round, leaving enough space around filling to press down & top round.
• Wet edges before doing this.
• Close edges tightly but do not spread dough out too large, trim edges again with cutter.
• Lay on floured board to rise for about 1 hour or more.
• They must be about twice their thickness.
• Cover with warm cloth.
• FRY in deep hot fat (360-370°F )& when golden brown on both sides, drain & sprinkle with powdered sugar.