Beignet Pistachio at Canelle by Andrew McFarlane

Fat Tuesday is the traditional feast before Lent begins. Polish-Americans brought their tradition of Tłusty Czwartek (Fat Thursday) to Polish enclaves like Hantramck in Detroit as Pączki Day. The Freep shares some facts about these Polish pastries:

1. The paczki is thought of as a way to use up fatty ingredients like lard and butter, as well as sugar, eggs, and fruit before Lenten fasting begins.
2. Don’t call paczki jelly doughnuts. They have a much richer flavor because the yeasty dough is made with more eggs. They are also bigger and plumper; the shape is more like a sphere.
3. In Poland, the last Thursday before Lent begins is called Fat Thursday. So the splurge day was Feb. 27.
4. A small amount of grain alcohol is added to the paczki dough before cooking. As the alcohol evaporates, it prevents the absorption of oil deep into the dough so the pastry is not greasy.
5. Calories and fat? Brace yourself. Depending on the size, paczki can have as many as 400 calories and more than 20 grams of fat.
6. The name paczki translates to “little packages.” Paczki is pronounced POONCH-key and is plural; one pastry is a paczek (POON-check).

I took the picture above yesterday at Canelle in downtown Detroit on the corner of Grand River & Griswold. For my money – which is backed by a French teacher mom – Canelle has the best beignet in town! Here are some pics from Paczki Day 2024 at New Palace Bakery in Hamtramck along with a shot of their 2025 Paczki: Cookie butter flavored buttercream with cookie crunch on the side/top, covered with powdered sugar!