Fat Thursday is a traditional Christian feast marking the last Thursday before Lent and is associated with the celebration of Carnival. Because Lent is a time of fasting, the days leading up to Ash Wednesday provide the last opportunity for feasting (including simply eating forbidden items) until Easter. Traditionally it is a day dedicated to eating, when people meet in their homes or cafés with their friends and relatives and eat large quantities of sweets, cakes and other meals usually not eaten during Lent. Among the most popular all-national dishes served on that day are pączki in Poland or berliner, fist-sized donuts filled with rose hip jam, and angel wings (faworki), French dough fingers served with powdered sugar.
In Poland, Fat Thursday is called Tłusty Czwartek. People purchase their favorite pastries from their local bakeries. Traditional foods include pączki (doughnuts), which are large deep-fried pieces of especially rich dough, traditionally filled with plum or rose petal jam (though others are commonly used) and topped with powdered sugar, icing, or glaze. Angel wings (faworki) are also commonly consumed on this day.
Dissolve yeast in warm cream, add to yolks, add flour gradually, then add melted butter, more flour while beating well until dough no long clings to the spoon.
Set aside and let rise for about 2 hours
Take a small piece of dough and flatten it out in the palm of your hand.
Put about a teaspoonful of jam in the center and fold in the edges of the dough until a ball is formed with the jam in the center.
Fry the balls in deep fat (about 350° F) about five minutes
When done sprinkle with a powdered sugar and butter icing.
In a small saucepan heat the milk until tiny bubbles appear around the edge; add butter and 1/3rd cup sugar; of heat stir until butter melts.
Pour into a medium mixing bowl and cool to lukewarm (115 degrees); add yeast and stir until dissolved— this takes considerable stirring. Add 1 cup of the flour, the egg yolks. orange rind, lemon rind, orange juice and vanilla; with a wooden spoon beat until blended.
Stir in enough more flour to make a soft dough.
On a lightly floured surface, knead until smooth and elastic -- about 5 minutes.
Place in a greased medium mixing bow; turn to grease top.
Sprinkle lightly with flour.
Cover; let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled —about 1 hour.
Punch-down dough; cut into 2 equal portions.
On a prepared pastry cloth with a prepared fabric-covered rolling pin roll out 1 portion of. the dough-so it is 1/2" thick.
With'a round 2 3/4-inch cutter cut out.
Roll and cut the remaining portion as the dough the same way.
With your forefinger, make a 1-inch-long indentation in the center of each round.
Put 1/2 level teaspoon jam in each indentation.
Holding a round in the palm of one hand. with the thumb and forefinger of the other hand lift up edges and pinch together hard so they meet; turn over edge, a little at a time, pinching hard as you do so, to insure a tight seal; with your forefinger held like a knife, firmly press down edge.
The rounds should now be oval shape.
Place‘ sealed greased cookie sheet; cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled- about1 hour.
Fry in deep hot oil (375 degrees on a frying thermometer) without touching or crowding).until well browned on bottom
side — about 2 minutes; turn and continue frying until top side is well browned - about 2 minutes more;
Doughnuts should be a dark brown to ensure doneness.
Drain on absorbent paper.
With extra confectioners sugar mashed through a sieve dust doughnuts on all sides.
