Craving a donut indulgence? Polish paczki abound at North Jersey bakeries

Who can argue with Fat Thursday, a holiday dedicated to eating? Certainly not Polish food lovers, who will get together with friends and family to eat the traditional dessert of their homeland, paczki, a tennis-ball sized deep-fried, stuffed doughnut that is similar to a jelly doughnut. (Only, fans say, better; the dough is more like a rich brioche dough.)

The filling? Take your pick: prune preserve, rose hip jam, strawberry jelly, raspberry jam, Bavarian cream. And, the final touch: powdered sugar all over the sweet treat (though icing can be used, too).

"They are full of calories," said Izabela Piedel, a Polish-born Wyckoff resident. "But on Fat Thursday, you can eat as many as you want."

The reason? Fat Thursday, a Catholic holiday, marks the Last Thursday before Lent, when many believers give up eating sweets. If that's you, you probably want lots of paczki (pronounced pounchki) before your 40-day sacrifice begins.

You can get those high-caloric, ultra-filling, uber-delicious paczki at the following Polish bakeries in North Jersey.

Banas, Wallington

This bakery has been baking Polish breads, cakes, and other confections for some 80 years. And while its classic Polish rye bread is known far and wide by Polish households, paczki sales skyrocket come Fat Thursday.

"Paczki is totally different from American doughnuts," said salesperson Sylwia Grodzka, a Clifton resident. "To me, American doughnuts taste like sponge cake." Banas' paczki are filled with either raspberry jam, Bavarian pudding, rose hip jam or prune jam. Sylwia has observed that Polish customers prefer the prune and rose hip doughnuts; Americans the raspberry and pudding. Cost: $1.25 each.

Also on sale —- and a favorite for the holiday — chrusciki, also known as angel wings, a crisp deep-fried cookie shaped like thin twisted ribbons ($6 for around ½ pound).

Go: 84 Wallington Ave., Wallington; 973- 779-2165. No web site.

More: On 'Fat Thursday,' a Polish bakery rushes to produce thousands of paczkis

More: Food crawl: Exploring Polish fare in North Jersey

Polonia Bakery, Passaic

Polonia expects to sell nearly 40,000 paczki, according to one of its staffers, starting Wednesday evening and all day Thursday. It is the shop's bestselling item — year-round.

"It's the best paczki you can get," said Izabela Piedel of Wyckoff. "Polonia is a hidden gem." Pidel said the shop looks like it was frozen sometime in the 1960s, which makes it that much more charming. The paczki is made fresh daily and stuffed with prune jam, rose hip jam, Bavarian cream or jelly. $1.30 each.

Go: 204 Monroe St., Passaic; 973-471-3485, poloniabakery.com.

Styertowne Bakery, Clifton

This third-generation family-owned primarily German bakery, famous for its crumb cake, churns out a host of Polish desserts, including paczki.

"We've been making them the same way for 50 years," said Oliver Prochaska, who owns the shop with his wife, Tina. Styertowne's version is filled with prune (known as lekvar), and while still hot dipped in icing for a nice glaze. "I've got to hold back (from eating too many)," Prochaska said. "It's dangerous stuff."

Go: 1039 Bloomfield Ave., Clifton; 973-777-6193. No web site.

Garfield Bakery, Garfield

A few doors from popular Piast Meats & Provisions, a family-owned Polish market, this Polish bakery makes not only the more traditional rose hip, raspberry and Bavarian cream paczki but blueberry ones, too. Each cost $1.25.

Also available: Polish angel wings, $11 for one pound.

Go: 800 River Drive, Garfield; 973-546-3409. No web site.

Krystyna Bakery, Garfield

Krystyna Bakery has been producing paczki from-scratch for 30 years, said Deina Wlazel, the daughter-in-law of owner Krystyna. And while most customers favor the plum-and-raspberry paczki, according to Wlazel, the bakery also sells Bavarian cream-, chocolate- and Nutella-stuffed ones. As for what the Polish treats are covered with? Your choice: powdered sugar, chocolate icing or a sugar glaze. $1 each.

Go: 63 Belmont Ave., Garfield; 973-546-8060. No web site.

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