Baked Paczki

This baked recipe brings the flavors of doughnut, and the soft, light consistency of that dessert without the major problem that is frying. Also makes a great Mardi Gras offering.

Recipe from About.com.

Ingredients:
-2 tablespoons warm water
-1/2 teaspoon sugar
-1 packet yeast
-3/4 cup warm milk
-1/4 cup sugar
-1/2 stick room temperature butter
-2 room temperature eggs
-1/2 tablespoon triple sec
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-3 cups flour
-confectioner's sugar or fruit preserves for topping/filling

Dissolve to small quantity of sugar in the warm water and add the yeast; it will start to foam. Stir the yeast into the warm milk and set aside.

Beat the sugar and butter together until fluffy. Add the eggs, triple sec and salt and beat to combine. It's important here that the eggs be room temperature, otherwise they will solidify the butter and make a chunky mixture.

Add divided parts flour and the yeasty milk to the butter mixture and beat until smooth. Add flour as needed to work the dough into a uniform mass; this particular dough will be slack but shouldn't be runny. Having never worked with slack dough before, I was a bit concerned when my dough seemed loose; it will come together. Give it several periods of rest for 45 minutes to 1 hour to rise, then work it back down with a small amount of flour. Over time it will get more and more workable until you have a dough that you can press out and cut with a cookie cutter.

Make about a dozen rounds, or in this case hearts. Bake on parchment paper at 375 for 10 minutes. Allow to cool, then coat generously in confectioner's sugar.

These baked doughnuts got a very good response from many people. They for sure were not sweet, but with the touch of sweetness on the outside, were maybe sweet enough, and this could be one of the reasons why some people enjoyed them, that they were sweet enough without being too much. Try them with preserves or jam, too, for another dimension of sweetness and a little moisture. Happy Mardi Gras.