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Pączki are traditional Polish doughnuts. Pączki is the plural form of the word pączek in Polish, but many English speakers use paczki as singular and paczkis as plural.

Enjoy a recipe for this Milwaukee Lenten favorite first published by the Milwaukee Journal on February 7th, 1963.

Paczki
1 ½ C Milk
2 cakes yeast
1 tsp salt
½ C sugar
3 egg yolks
1 whole egg
1 tsp vanilla
½ tsp mace or ½ tsp nutmeg
½ C butter
4 ½ C flour

Scald milk and allow to cool to lukewarm. Break yeast into lukewarm milk. Beat sugar and butter until fluffy, add eggs, salt and spices. Add flour and milk gradually, beating well. Let rise in warm place until double in bulk. (About two and one half hours) Punch down, knead and let rise again. Place dough on lightly floured board, stretch toward you and fill with thick filling (jelly is not thick enough.) Fold over and cut into desired size ball, place on lightly floured surface and let rise. Fry in deep hot fat, turning only once. Doughnuts should have a very dark color before turning that they are thoroughly baked. Drain on soft absorbent paper. Sprinkle with vanilla flavored powdered sugar or a mixture of granulated sugar and cinnamon.

Note: The cookbook Treasured Polish Christmas customs and traditions, 1977 p.726 states that rose jams, apricot or peach preserves and prune butter are good fillings for paczki.