If you’re a fan of traditional Mardi Gras King Cake and Polish Paczkis, you’re in for a real treat with the King Cake Paczki. These delicious pastries combine the best of both worlds, creating a tasty and unique treat that’s perfect for celebrating Fat Tuesday or any day of the year.
King Cake Paczkis are essentially traditional paczkis filled with the same flavors found in King Cake – a sweet dough filled with vanilla custard, and coated with cinnamon sugar. They’re then topped with colorful sugar, just like a classic King Cake.
One of the best things about these King Cake Paczkis is their versatility. They can be enjoyed for breakfast, as a mid-day snack, or as a sweet dessert after dinner. They’re also perfect for sharing with family and friends during a Mardi Gras celebration. If you’re looking for a new and unique dessert to try this Mardi Gras season, look no further than King Cake Paczkis.
Ingredients:
- Rapid-rise yeast
- Whole milk, warmed
- Bread flour
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Salt
- Ground nutmeg
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- Unsalted butter, softened
- Cinnamon
- Vanilla Powder
- Corn starch
Let’s Bake:
To make the donuts, in the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, whisk together the yeast and milk. In a separate bowl, whisk together the bread flour, all-purpose flour, sugar, salt and nutmeg. With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture to the yeast mixture. Stir in the egg and vanilla extract until just combined. Then add in the butter. Increase the speed to medium and mix for 5-8 minutes, until the dough clears the side of the bowl and the dough is smooth. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and shape into a ball. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot (or 100°F warmed oven) for 1-3 hours, until doubled in size.
Once the dough has risen, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Gently deflate the dough and roll it out onto a lightly floured surface to ½-inch thick. Using a 3-inch round cookie cutter or pint glass, cut the dough into rounds. You will only be able to re-roll the dough once. Discard the scraps. Place the donuts on prepared baking sheets and then into the preheated oven. Bake for 10-15 minutes until golden brown in color. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Mix the sugar with cinnamon in a shallow bowl. Brush the donuts with the butter and then roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Place on a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.
To make the vanilla custard filling, add the sugar, vanilla powder, and cornstarch to a saucepan. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. Add the milk mixture and the butter to the saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil. Turn the heat to low and cook for one more minute. Remove from heat and whisk until smooth. Pour the custard into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface of the custard. Place in the fridge to cool. Just before filling the donuts, whisk again until smooth.
Cut a slit in the side of each donut. Fill a piping bag with your vanilla custard. Fill each donut with the vanilla custard. Finally dust your donuts with purple, green and yellow sparkling sugar. I hope you enjoy ♥
King Cake Paczkis
Ingredients:
Donuts:
- 3 ¼ tsp rapid-rise yeast
- 1 ½ cups whole milk, warmed
- 3 cups bread flour
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- ⅛ tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- Colored sparkling sugar (purple, green, yellow)
Vanilla Custard:
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla powder
- ⅓ cup corn starch
- 4 eggs
- 2 cups whole milk
- 4 tbsp butter
Directions:
- To make the donuts: In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, whisk together the yeast and milk.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the bread flour, all-purpose flour, sugar, salt and nutmeg.
- With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture to the yeast mixture.
- Stir in the egg and vanilla extract until just combined. Then add in the butter.
- Increase the speed to medium and mix for 5-8 minutes, until the dough clears the side of the bowl and the dough is smooth.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and shape into a ball. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot (or 100°F warmed oven) for 1-3 hours, until doubled in size.
- Once the dough has risen, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Gently deflate the dough and roll it out onto a lightly floured surface to ½-inch thick. Using a 3-inch round cookie cutter or pint glass, cut the dough into rounds. You will only be able to re-roll the dough once. Discard the scraps.
- Place the donuts on prepared baking sheets and then into the preheated oven.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes until golden brown in color.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan. Mix the sugar with cinnamon in a shallow bowl.
- Brush the donuts with the butter and then roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Place on a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.
- To make the vanilla custard filling: add the sugar, vanilla powder, and cornstarch to a saucepan.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk.
- Add the milk mixture and the butter to the saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil.
- Turn the heat to low and cook for one more minute. Remove from heat and whisk until smooth.
- Pour the custard into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface of the custard. Place in the fridge to cool. Just before filling the donuts, whisk again until smooth.
- Cut a slit in the side of each donut. Fill a piping bag with your vanilla custard. Fill each donut with the vanilla custard.
- Finally dust your donuts with purple, green and yellow sparkling sugar.
Notes:
- You can make the donuts and the vanilla custard the day before you plan on serving the donuts. Wait until the day you plan on eating the donuts to fill your donuts with custard.
Bakes by Bohrer 