(WTOL) - Just in time for Fat Tuesday, Walt Churchill's Market Bakery has been hard at work, making thousands of paczki. The market has already made about 1,500 dozen and will add another 1,000 to the list by Tuesday. Although they can't give up the secret ingredients inside the paczki, bakers tell WTOL they're made with a lot of TLC, and of course sugar.
For some, a paczki might be a brand new experience. For others it's a yearly tradition before lent.
"Back in the day people on Fat Tuesday before lent would want to use up all the products in their pantries. And they came up with the paczki to get rid of all their lard, eggs, sugar, and so forth. So paczki is like a doughnut, but it's richer, much richer," said Fred Bartnikowski, head baker at Walt Churchill's.
It's quite a process, frying the dough, filling it, and finishing it off with powdered sugar. They come in a variety of flavors from Bavarian crème and chocolate to raspberry, lemon and even prune.
"We take pride in what we do and we make sure every paczki is perfect and the people will enjoy them," said Bartnikowski.
Bartnikowski is a little bias, he's been making paczki for 45 years, and says Walt's is the place to go.
"We feel they're the best tasting in the city. So if you're looking for a good paczki, come see us," he said.
Regardless of what your favorite flavor is, make sure you get your paczki before it's too late. The clock is ticking and after the Fat Tuesday celebrations, the paczki production will stop, until next year.
