Now @ MPL...

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.

Wisconsin is famous for many things: cheese, breweries, motorcycles, and of course, bratwurst! Although Sheboygan holds the title of "Bratwurst Capital of the World," Milwaukee is home to many connoisseurs of this German sausage. If you have ever wanted to make your own brats, here is what you need to know. Taken from MPL's Ready Reference Historic Recipe File, this recipe for broiled bratwurst was published in the January 19, 1967 edition of the Milwaukee Journal.

Bratwurst

Combine all ingredients; put through grinder three times. Mix with 1/2 cup water; fill pork casings. To serve, prepare broiled bratwurst. Broiled bratwurst: Cover bratwurst with hot water. Bring to a boil and remove from heat immediately. Let stand in hot water a few minutes until firm. Drain; dip bratwurst into milk. Place in broiler and cook until golden brown under low to moderate heat. Serves four.

Getting together with family and friends this Memorial Day weekend? Searching for a great dish to bring? Try this recipe for German Potato Salad from the August 5, 1981 edition of the Milwaukee Journal. This dish is another Milwaukee favorite!

German Potato Salad

8 cups cooked salad potatoes, peeled, sliced and still warm (about 3 1/2 pounds)
1/2 cup (1 medium) finely sliced onion
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon celery seed
salt and pepper
6 slices bacon
2 tablespoons flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 cup water
1/4 cup bottled lemon juice
2 hard-cooked eggs, sliced
parsley sprigs for garnish

In large bowl, combine potatoes with onion, parsley, celery seed, and salt and pepper to taste.

In medium skillet, fry bacon until crisp. Remove bacon and set aside, reserving drippings in pan. Add flour, sugar, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper to drippings. Stir well. Bring just to boil; reduce heat.

Meanwhile, in small bowl, beat egg slightly. Add vinegar, water, and lemon juice. Slowly add egg mixture to mixture in pan. Stir and cook over low heat until thickened, about 3 to 4 minutes. Pour over potato mixture; mix lightly. Crumble reserved bacon over potatoes and mix lightly again. Garnish with hard-cooked eggs and parsley. Serve warm. Makes 10 to 12 servings.

Summer is officially here, so why not celebrate with some homemade frozen vanilla custard! From the June 28, 1962 edition of the Milwaukee Journal, here is a recipe to try.

Frozen Vanilla Custard

1 egg, separated
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 small can evaporated milk (2/3) cup, chilled icy cold

Beat egg yolk. Add sugar and vanilla. Beat until sugar is dissolved. Beat egg white until stiff. Fold into yolk mixture. Whip milk until it is stiff and will hold a peak. Fold in egg mixture lightly. Pour at once into cold freezing tray and freeze. Makes one pint.

(Want to make it chocolate custard?)

Cocoa: Omit sugar. Use in its place a syrup made by blending one-fourth cup sugar, one-fourth cup cocoa and one-half cup water and boiling until thick. Chill syrup, then add to the beaten egg yolks.

Enjoy!

Looking for a way to cool off this weekend? Try this recipe for Citrus Slush adapted from the Milwaukee Journal on September 8, 1982. It makes a lot, so why not invite over your family, your friends or even the whole neighborhood!

Citrus Slush

4 cans (6 ounces each) frozen tangerine or orange juice concentrate or combination
1 quart pineapple sherbet
3 cups water
9 quarts white soda (about)
9 oranges, lemons and/or limes, sliced, for garnish (about)

To make slush, thaw juice concentrates and soften sherbet. In 3-quart airtight freezer container, combine concentrates, sherbet and water. Freeze 8 hours or overnight, until firm.

To serve, let mixture stand 10 minutes at room temperature. Scoop frozen mixture into 2 1/2-or 3-quart serving bowl. Fill bottom of larger bowl with layer of ice cubes and insert bowl of slush into bowl. Fill in space around side of bowl with more ice cubes. For each serving, spoon about 2 1/2 tablespoons slush into glass; pour in white soda and garnish with fruit slice. Makes 9 1/2 to 10 cups slush or about 60 servings, 6 ounces each.

Looking for something delicious to have with your morning coffee or tea?
Try this easy recipe from the October 11, 1973 edition of the Milwaukee Sentinel:

Fresh Banana Lemon Tea Bread

2/3 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (3 bananas)
6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 cups sifted flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon grated fresh lemon rind

In large bowl, cream shortening with sugar. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Blend in bananas and lemon juice. Sift together flour, baking soda and salt. Blend into banana mixture; stir in lemon rind. Turn into greased 9 by 5 by 3 inch loaf pan. Bake in 325 degree oven for one hour or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from pan and cool. Sift confectioners' sugar over top, if desired, before serving.

Autumn is officially here! Why not celebrate with an easy recipe that features some of the season's best produce? Try this recipe for Apple-Stuffed Acorn Squash from the October 8, 1971 edition of the Milwaukee Sentinel:

Apple-Stuffed Acorn Squash

2 acorn squash
2 tart cooking apples
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh grated lemon rind
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted and divided
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
salt
cinnamon

Cut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Place in baking dish cut side down and add one-half inch of boiling water. Bake in 400 degree oven for 20 minutes. Pare, core and dice apples; mix with lemon juice, rind, two tablespoons butter and brown sugar. Brush squash halves with remaining two tablespoons butter; sprinkle with salt and cinnamon. Fill squash halves with apple mixture. Place in baking dish, add one-half inch boiling water, cover and bake 30 minutes longer. Before serving, pour pan juices over squash. If desired, garnish with apple and lemon slices. Makes four servings.

Has carving those pumpkins got you thinking about delicious pumpkin pie? Try this recipe for Famous Pumpkin Pie from the Milwaukee Journal on January 6, 1966.

Famous Pumpkin Pie

1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin
1 7/8 cups (large can) undiluted evaporated milk
9 inch single crust unbaked pie shell

Blend sugar, spices and salt together. Add eggs, pumpkin and milk. Mix well. Pour into unbaked pie shell. Bake in hot oven, 425 degrees, 15 minutes; reduce to moderate heat, 350 degrees, and continue baking about 40 minutes, or until knife inserted in pie mixture comes out clean. Cool.

Allrecipes.com has more than 175 million annual visits from users who share and download recipes and reviews. For more than a decade, this Seattle-based site has served as a dynamic, indispensible resource for cooks seeking trusted recipes and entertaining ideas. In addition, Allrecipes.com houses more than 52,000 recipes. Looking for that perfect dip? How about an inspiring Thanksgiving menu? Allrecipes.com to the rescue!

For other sites on cooking, home buying and all things domestic, check out the House and Garden category under Recommended Links on the MPL home page.