Local bakeries are preparing for Fat Tuesday or Paczki Day on Feb. 17.
Celebrated before Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the season of Lent for Christians, paczkis are plump Polish pastries similar to a jelly donut but the dough is richer and more eggs are used.
Bakeries will offer a variety of traditional and unique paczki flavors, with some drawing inspiration from popular cake flavors.
Cakes by Stephanie
Located at 207 North Monroe St., Cakes by Stephanie will offer paczkis in creme brulee, Bavarian crème, peanut butter, chocolate hoho, chocolate pistachio, raspberry, cannoli and strawberry cheesecake. Orders can be placed online with Feb. 16 and Feb. 17 pickup dates.
Monica’s Baker Boy
For more than two decades, Monica Reisig, owner of Monica’s Baker Boy, has been making paczki. Her bakery at 5967 E. Dunbar Road is where paczkis will be available.
The bakery offers a wide variety of flavors like black raspberry, apple, blueberry, cherry raspberry, lemon, strawberry, Bavarian (custard), chocolate cream, vanilla cream, peanut butter cream and apricot. It is recommended customers order early.
Nonna Dolce
Located at 1233 Holiday Blvd. in Monroe, Nonna Dolce will offer glazed paczkis in flavors like cannoli, Boston crème, raspberry glazed, lemon glazed, blueberry glazed, custard (powdered sugar), Dubai chocolate, cookie butter and blueberry cheesecake.
Customers must order a minimum of six. Orders can be placed online. The deadline to order is 11:55 p.m. Feb. 9 with Feb. 16 and Feb. 17 pickup or delivery dates.
The Mitten Cake & Bakeshop
The Mitten Cake & Bakeshop at 8799 Swan Creek Road in Newport will feature four paczki flavors: blueberry, Boston cream, churro (Nutella plus cinnamon sugar) and lemon raspberry. Preorders can be placed online by 9 p.m. Feb. 9 with Feb. 16 and Feb. 17 pickup dates.
— Contact reporter Lisa Vidaurri-Bowling at lvidaurribowling@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: These local bakeries are ready to fill paczki orders
Reporting by Lisa Vidaurri Bowling, The Monroe News / The Monroe News
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